J&K govt asks CRPF to vacate Srinagar hotels

The CRPF,which is the largest security force deployed in the city after the Army,is now looking at the possibility of building a permanent dwelling place for its men

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With militancy at an all-time low and tourism picking up,the Jammu and Kashmir government has through the Ministry of Home Affairs asked the CRPF jawans to vacate the hotels in Srinagar. The CRPF,which is the largest security force deployed in the city after the Army,is now looking at the possibility of building a permanent dwelling place for its men.

In the past few days,we vacated two hotels. Currently our men are living in 27 hotels and we have asked the state government to make alternate arrangements for us, said a senior CRPF official.

We want a permanent accommodation now. There is no sense of belonging for the men who are on duty. A hotel may be good for single occupancy. But when it is used for community living,it becomes difficult for us too, said another official.

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After the MHA asked the force to vacate the hotels,the CRPF is looking for a land in the vicinity where it can build its barracks and offices. We have been deployed here for more than a decade and still have to live in make shift arrangements. The MHA did tell us to vacate the hotels but no time-frame has been given. We can also request the state government to give us land on lease, said another official.

Another official said that while the state government says that normalcy has returned to the state,they vehemently opposed pulling out the forces.

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