J and K officials in HP to talk to Kashmiri migrants; CM

Shimla, Oct 5 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said Jammu and Kashmir officials were in Chamba district to persuade people who had crossed over to the state to return to their villages, promising adequate security to them.

''The officials are already in Chamba district to persuade these migrants to return to their village in Jammu and Kashmir where the state government has promised them adequate security,'' he told reporters on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony of the HP Public Service Commission Chairman here.

Mr Singh was reacting to the crossing over of 64 people from Sawara village of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir to Himachal late on Tuesday night following threat to their lives from the militants.

He said the people who had crossed over to the state were a scared lot due to the threat to their lives from the militants, besides being in the minority in the village.

Replying to a question, he assured that the state government would provide all possible help to these people besides providing them temporary shelter if they decide not to return to their native places.

The Chief Minister, however, refused to elaborate whether the government would help their rehabilitation or not.

Meanwhile, state ADGP Ashwani Kumar told UNI here that there was no possibility of militants infiltrating into Himachal from Jammu and Kasmir with the state police continuing to maintain strict vigil along the border.

Eight companies of Indian Reserve (IR) Battalion and one Battalion of ITBP were manning the district border to prevent the entry of militants into the state.

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