By IANS
Jammu : Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt, beginning a two-day visit of Jammu and Kashmir Thursday, held a meeting to assess if the situation was right for "relocation and reconfiguration" of troops in the state.
Accompanied by senior officials, Dutt held his first meeting in Rajouri, a border town about 180 km north of Jammu, where he arrived in the morning.
He discussed in detail the troops' deployment, overall security situation and also whether there was any need to shift troops from Jammu and Kashmir or relocate them within the state.
A district official told IANS on condition of anonymity that there was stiff opposition to any plan to relocate troops.
Dutt later flew to summer capital Srinagar.
The defence secretary heads a panel announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in March this year to study the security situation in the state and assess if relocation and reconfiguration of troops can be carried out there.
The panel was formed after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a coalition partner in the Congress-led government in the state, demanded troop reduction.
It will submit its report to Defence Minister A.K. Antony after a meeting in Srinagar Friday.