Dhumal seeks grants for state’s internal security

Taking last week’s arrest of two Hizbul Mujahideen suspects seriously,the Himachal Pradesh government has decided to put its uniformed men on high alert by upgrading the existing security and intelligence network in Kangra and Chamba districts,both of which border Jammu and Kashmir,during the winter months.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal,who met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi this morning,said “Himachal Pradesh can’t remain complacent as being a peaceful state. There are serious threats at its borders. We are quite vigilant but we need the Centre to provide resources and support for ‘police modernisation’ and for maintaining the two new India Reserve Battalions raised recently.”

“One very pertinent point I tried to make is that HImachal Pradesh should not be punished for the tranquility that prevails here.The Centre need to realise the gravity of the threats and come to the rescue of Himachal,” Dhumal pointed out on his return to Shimla.

At the meeting,the Chief Minister made a strong demand to the Centre for reimbursement of deployment costs of armed police battalions along the Jammu and Kashmir border. Currently,Himachal Pradesh does not get any Central funding for the deployment of the armed police battalion at its borders.

Dhumal also informed the Home Minister about some of the measures the state government has already taken to meet challenges posed by anti-national forces.