KT NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, Aug 30: Notwithstanding Home Minister Shivraj Patil ruling out POTA-type anti-terror law during the Lok Sabha debate on Wednesday on the Hyderabad bomb blasts, a Home Ministry status paper calls for "effective enforcement of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967, National Security Act, 1980 and other relevant laws." The status paper on "Internal Security Situation" tabled in the House by Patil envisages 15 initiatives to strengthen the internal security system and these include enlisting help of the local community leaders to prevent terrorist activities.
It also stresses that "no particular community is to be held responsible for anti-national activities of a few fringe individuals." Some of the initiatives envisaged are: _ Well-coordinated and efficient intelligence machinery at the Centre and states; _ Revival of beat constable system and states earmarking five per cent of police modernisation funds for strengthening special branches that gather intelligence at the local level; _ Community policing system; _ Enhanced physical security of vital installations, important buildings, places of congregation, railway infrastructures and trains; and _ Special security cover to infrastructure projects in the naxal/terrorism-affected areas by including it in the project cost.
In an overview of the internal security situation, the status paper covering incidents till June end talks of a significant improvement in Jammu and Kashmir and communal situation remaining under control.
While the overall terrorist violence increased in the North East, incidents of naxal violence during the first six months of 2007 registered only a marginal increase of 1.81 per cent, though the casualties of police personnel and civilians dipped by 9.60 per cent.
KASHMIR SCENE: Noting that there have been no suicide attacks in Jammu and Kashmir during 2007, except one car bomb attack without any major damage and fewer grenade attacks, the status paper said the major successes of the security forces in the state were in terms of killing of 211 terrorists, including 37 foreigners, and arrest of 217 while 81 other terrorists surrendered until June-end.
The status paper also noted a declining trend in the level of violence since 2001 and said: "Overall stable security situation in the state is indicative of transition to normalcy" that has resulted in a constant flow of tourists to the state.
Infiltration from across the Line of Control (LoC) has, however, gone up since April after registering 4 per cent decline in 2006 over 2005, the paper said.
There were altogether 532 terrorism-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in the first six months of 2007 as compared to 832 during the same period last year.
The casualties of civilians killed during the period dropped drastically from 207 to 78, though the security forces killed slightly went up from 59 to 61.
A total of 211 terrorists were killed until June end as against 275 during the same period in 2006.
NORTH EAST WORSE: The contrast is the North-East where the extremist-related incidents shot up from 636 in first half of 2006 to 810 until June this year while the figures of the civilians killed shot up from 130to 271 and security personnel killed from 29 to 47.
The number of extremists killed, however, rose from 209 to 257.
NAXAL VIOLENCE: There was not much increase in the incidents of the naxal violence as 2007 witnessed 842 incidents until June as against 827 in 2006 while the civilians' killings dropped from 304 to 220, casualties of police personnel rose from 92 to 138.
A total of 93 naxalites were killed in police operation until June-end as against 128 in the previous year.
The half-yearly figures of the naxalite incidents are more or less at the same level over the past four years when tallied with the annual record of such incidents: 1597 in 2003, 1533 in 2004, 1608 in 2005 and 1509 in 2006.
Accountability Commission recommends prosecution against politician, 5 officers Fayaz Wani SRINAGAR, Aug 30: The Accountability Commission has recommended prosecution of a politician and five other top government functionaries and the recommendations have been sent to the Governor for his sanction.
This was stated by Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution minister, Taj Mohi-ud-Din in Legislative Council today.
While replying to a joint question of four legislators on the performance of Accountability Commission, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, on behalf of Chief minister, said that the Commission is doing good work and government plans to provide it an investigative agency so that the commission can themselves probe into the corruption cases.
He said that the commission has so far received 1700 complaints and of these 800 were found frivolous and 200 others were not pursued by the complainants.
"The remaining complaints are being looked into by the commission and action will be taken where required," Taj said adding, "Mere filing of complaint in the Commission or Vigilance does not prove that the person is guilty.
Unless it is proved that the person is guilty, he/she cannot be prosecuted and no action can be taken against them".
Taj said that Accountability Commission has given its recommendations in 10 cases involving a politician and top officials.
"Four of the cases are sub-judice as the concerned persons have obtained stay from the courts while recommendations in six other cases have been sent to Governor.
Among the six is a case of a politician and the government is yet to receive sanction or report from Governor in this regard so far," he said.
Without identifying the politician, whose name figures in the list of six recommendations sent to Governor, the minister said that after getting report from the Governor, the politician and other officials can be identified.
The minister, however, assured the house that prompt action will be initiated against all the persons, who are found guilty by the Commission.
"Government is committed to follow in letter and spirit the recommendations of the Accountability Commission", he said.
"No guilty officer or politician, howsoever, powerful and influential he/she may be, will be spared for their wrong doings", he added.
When a legislator wanted to know whether the government intends to hand over the cases of corrupt officials and politicians to CBI for investigations, the minister replied in negative.
We have got more confidence in our state police agencies than CBI," he asserted.
The legislators wanted to know as to why the politicians are not prosecuted at the same pace at which action is taken against officials.
"Whenever anything concrete is found, only afterwards action is taken", the minister said, adding, "Action cannot be taken on mere registering of complaint against a politician, legislator, minister or official".
The government also produced the names of the officers/officials and others, whose property has been attached/seized after they were found to have disproportionate assets.
A 100-page report was submitted in the house but the same was not provided to the media persons.
"We were having only four copies and we have distributed them," said Speaker Legislative Council when Kashmir Times sought a copy of the report.
