quot;Law enforcing agencies have failedquot;

Agreeing with her, Harsh Mahajan, Congress MLA from Chamba also held the view that timely action of the authorities in flushing out militants from the area would have saved the lives of 35 labourers.

Mahajan, who returned from Chamba, today met Governor V. S. Rama Devi and briefed her about the situation prevailing in the area after the massacre. He demanded immediate deployment of the Army since the area had become a safe haven for the militants. Mahajan also asked for rehabilitation of the victims to safe areas.

Two Congress MLAS maintained that it was a known fact that militants had been taking shelter in the area for quite some time. 8220;I had raised the issue in the Assembly thrice to draw attention of the government but it took our statements casually, which led to this tragedy,8221; Asha Kumari asserted.

Mahajan in his meeting with the governor informed that for quite some time reports were available from the intelligence agencies that terrorist from Doda district had shifted their hideouts to Chamba due to extensive Army presence on Jamp;K border. In spite of this, the government had failed to take any action to protect the lives of the people of Chamba, who he said were in a state of shock. The incident was a big blow to the peace of this backward district, he said.