By IANS
New Delhi : The security forces will vacate all school and hospital buildings in Jammu and Kashmir within two weeks, even as the rents for the properties they continue to occupy will be substantially hiked, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Wednesday.
“The security forces have already begun moving out of school and hospital buildings they had occupied and the process will be completed within two weeks,” he told reporters after visiting the defence ministry pavilion at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) here.
“We will also pay higher rents for the properties forces continue to occupy,” the minister said, adding: “We are trying to work hard on the healing process (in the state).”
The decision to vacate school and hospital buildings was taken at a high-level meeting Antony had chaired in Srinagar last month.
According to the minister, the state’s political parties had welcomed the move.
Antony did not seem perturbed over the recent adverse observations of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on some defence deals.
“We are concerned about transparency (in defence deals) and at the same time, want to ensure speedy procurement (of hardware) for the modernisation of the armed forces. If we have a doubt, we approach the CVC. It is we who take the initiative,” the minister maintained.
“Unless we modernise, we will face difficulties. Our neighbours are also modernising,” he added.
Queried about a reported directive by the central government to its ministers to stay away from a function to felicitate the Dalai Lama so as not to offend Chinese sensibilities, Antony said he had not received such an instruction.
“Is there any thing new in the Chinese presence in Tibet? Tibet is a part of China and the Chinese Army is there. The Indian armed forces are also stationed on the India-China border and the last few years had not seen any major problem,” he contended.
The minister was circumspect when asked whether he would attend a function where the Dalai Lama was also present.
“I receive a number of invitations (for functions). I can’t attend all of them,” he said.