By IANS,
New Delhi : The security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast has shown “a perceptible improvement”, President Pranab Mukherjee said Thursday.
Addressing both houses of parliament, Mukherjee said the government was pursuing a two-pronged approach to deal with Maoists.
“The security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast has shown a perceptible improvement,” he said.
Mukherjee said the number of tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir had gone up from 8.99 lakh in 2011 to 12.37 lakh in 2012.
Compared to 2011, the number of fatalities in incidents of terrorist violence declined by nearly half last year, he said.
The president said the government was committed to dealing with leftwing extremism in a comprehensive manner.
He said construction and strengthening of 400 police stations in the Maoist areas had been started.
“The first phase of the plan for improving road connectivity in 34 most affected districts at a cost of Rs.7,300 crore is likely to be completed by March 2015,” he said.
He said incidents of Maoist violence had shown a declining trend. The number of deaths in Maoist attacks had fallen from 611 in 2011 to 414 in 2012.