CRPF seeks accommodation before vacating schools in J

Srinagar, Nov 30 (UNI) The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) today said it will vacate all school and hospital buildings in Jammu and Kashmir as soon as an alternative accommodation was made available to the paramilitary force.

''We understand the importance of the matter. It is a high-level decision. We have to honour it,'' CRPF Director General S I S Ahmed told a news conference here.

Mr Ahmed said the CRPF had given priority to vacating school and hospital buildings and community halls.

''As soon as the alternate accommodation is made available to us (CRPF), we will move out,'' he added.

However, the Director General said the CRPF would vacate the government buildings in Jammu and Kashmir in a phased manner.

The decision to vacate troops from government buildings was taken at a high-level meeting here between Defence Minister A K Antony and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on October 27.

Mr Antony had then fixed November 30 as deadline to get the government infrastructure vacated from troops in the state.

Mr Ahmed further said the level of violence in the Kashmir valley has gone down in the recent past.

He also said the security forces -- CRPF, BSF and others -- were working as an integrated team in Jammu and Kashmir. ''This is one of the reasons for our success,'' the Director General added.

UNI