Govt Has No Plan to Scale down Activities in Afghanistan: Kaur

Despite killing of a total of 17 citizens engaged in Afghanistan, government has said that India is not going to scale down its activities there, reported PTI.

During Question Hour, Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur told Lok Sabha that the government ensured financial and other assistance to families of those killed in Afghanistan while working on projects taken up by India, report said.

The assistance includes ex-gratia compensation, insurance payments, liberalised pensionary benefits and other admissible benefits, said report.

She said that employees of private firms were given compensation by their company, report said.

Giving figures of Indian casualties, the minister told Lok Sabha that no Indian was killed in Afghanistan in 2007, nine Indians died in 2008 including seven in the terror attack on its embassy in Kabul, one in 2009 (a private firm employee), and seven in 2010 (in a terror attack on a hotel), said report.

Kaur pointed out the government had ‘no plan to scale down’ its activities in Afghanistan and was committed to assist Afghan people and government in building a peaceful, pluralistic, democratic and prosperous nation, report said.

She said that government undertook comprehensive review of security situation and enhance measures for the protection of personnel and other Indian citizens in Afghanistan, said report.

“It is also in regular touch with the Afghan government, which has assured necessary security for Indians in that country,” she was quoted as saying.

The minister noted that Indians registered with the embassy in Kabul are routinely advised about current security scenario in the country through advisories, report said.

She also outlined the precautions needed to be taken for their safety, said report.