Central team reviews situation in Kashmir

Srinagar, Aug 5 (UNI) Underscoring the need for dialogue to defuse the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, state Chief Secretary S S Kapur today informed a Central team that hundred per cent securing of the National Highway was the single-minded focus of the administration.

He said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had convened an all-party meeting to discuss ways and means to address the situation.

An official spokesman said the high level Central team, comprising Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh, had a detailed meeting with the senior state government officers led by Mr Kapur and reviewed the overall situation in Jammu and Kashmir today.

Director General, CRPF, V K Gosh, Corps Commander, 15 Corps, Lt Gen Mukesh Sabharwal, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Masood Samoon and senior officers of Police and security agencies also participated in the meeting.

The Central team had taken a similar stock taking meeting at Jammu last evening.

Briefing about the meeting, the Chief Secretary said while the overall security and law and order situation was reviewed, the focus of today's meeting was hundred per cent securing of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway for free and smooth flow of trucks carrying fuel, essentials and fresh fruit on either side of the Jawahar Tunnel.

He said the stock of the situation in Jammu was also taken and measures to restore normalcy discussed.

Mr Kapur said hundred per cent securing of the National Highway was the single minded focus of the administration.

He said Governor N N Vohra had issued clear instructions for ensuring free movement of trucks on the Highway.

Mr Kapur said measures have already been put in place to ensure hassle free plying of trucks from Lakhanpur to Srinagar and vice versa, leading to improvement in the scenario.

He said 400 Srinagar bound load carriers have been cleared at Lakhanpur yesterday besides another 150 trucks left from here. He said besides fuel tankers, 46 trucks carrying sheep also arrived in Srinagar yesterday.

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