By IANS
New Delhi : Infiltration from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir in India was the lowest in 2007 in the last five years, Minister of State for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal told the Lok Sabha Tuesday.
Jaiswal informed the house that an estimated 1,373 people had crossed the border along Jammu and Kashmir to enter India in 2003 but the number of infiltrations fell drastically to 537 in 2004 when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) came to power.
The number was 535 in 2007. No infiltration had been reported in January 2008, Jaiswal said.
The central government, along with the state government, is working under a multi-pronged strategy to contain cross-border infiltration.
“This includes strengthening of border management and multi-tiered deployment (of forces) along the international border and near the ever changing infiltration routes,” Jaiswal said in a written reply.
Other measures include construction of border fencing, using latest technology, weapons and equipment, improving intelligence and operational coordination and pro-active action against terrorists within the state.
The counter-infiltration efforts are reviewed periodically at various levels in the state and central governments. The two unified headquarters, headed by the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, are also involved in this exercise.
There had been demands in 2007 that the number of troops posted in Jammu and Kashmir be brought down as terrorist activity had come down. However, the state government had turned down the suggestion.
The falling infiltration figures show that there was no increase in threat from across the border despite the internal turmoil in Pakistan.