By IANS
Srinagar : Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has deputed top civil and police officials to New Delhi Tuesday to sort out the bottlenecks in relocation of troops from certain parts of the Jammu and Kashmir.
Home Secretary B.R. Kundal and Director General of Police Kuldeep Khuda were tasked to hold meeting with officials in Delhi, after Azad took a review meeting here Monday to discuss the repositioning of the security forces in Kashmir.
Though Azad has been against politicising of the demilitarisation issue in the wake of its "sensitivity concerning the security of the country", he is at the same time wants security forces to vacate government and private buildings and orchards in the valley.
The chief minister has confirmed that the security forces have already vacated nine buildings since January, including five private houses, three hotels and one government building.
"Besides this, two private land holdings were also vacated during this period," official sources told IANS here.
Quoting from official data, the sources said in 2006, 22 private buildings, government accommodations and hotels were vacated as against 2005 when the number of vacated buildings and lands by the security forces was 81.
In total, the security forces have vacated 112 buildings since 2005.
In order to speed up the process, Azad has so far taken five review meetings to discuss the issue.
Steps are also being taken to increase the rent and compensation of occupied buildings and lands.
Kashmir fruit growers, who are among the worst hit due to occupation of their orchards, that security forces have occupied 2,000 acres of horticulture and vegetable land in the valley, while compensation has been so far paid in respect of just 520 acres of such holdings.
Former chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, who is also ruling People's Democratic Party patron, Monday expressed renewed hope that the issue of troop reduction and review of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) would begin soon.
Sayeed has confirmed to IANS that he received a fresh letter from the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week sharing his concern over these issues.