Monitor News Bureau
Srinagar, Oct 21: Governor Satya Pal Malik Sunday paid homage to 414 Police Personnel from the State Police Forces and Paramilitary forces including 46 from Jammu and Kashmir Police, who lost their lives during the period 01.09.2017 to 31.08.2018, while performing various duties across India on the Police Commemoration Day observed at the Armed Police Complex, Zewan, Srinagar.
Paying rich tributes to the police personnel, the Governor said that the state will always remember their sacrifices for upholding law, safety and security of the people.
Governor appreciated the synergy and coordination between the J&K Police and Central Security forces and the Army in dealing with the sensitive security scenario in Jammu & Kashmir.
The Governor especially expressed his solidarity with the families of the slain policemen stating that it must be ensured that all welfare schemes of J&K Police which provide financial assistance to the families of martyred police personnel, in particular the rehabilitation and education of their children be implemented in right earnest besides being made more suitable and convenient.
Governor informed the gathering of the recent decisions taken by his administration to address various issues faced by the J&K Police viz. sanction to the creation of 8,531 non-gazetted posts in the police department to address the stagnation at various levels in the non-gazetted cadre, by improving their promotion prospects; enhancement of Ex-gratia relief to Police ‘martyrs’ from Rs. 48 Lakh to Rs. 70 Lakh and from Rs. 14.50 Lakh to Rs 30 lakh for martyred SPOs; provision of free education for two children of martyred personnel of J&K Police in private schools in the State upto class 12th. Besides, he further assured that his administration shall address all the pressing issues faced by the police personnel.
Governor expressed appreciation of the State police for the peaceful and incident free conduct of polling during the Urban Local Body elections, held recently in the State.
Immediately upon the arrival of the Governor, a Roll of Honour was presented in the memory of those policemen who died in the past one year. The Governor also laid floral wreath at the Martyrs’ Memorial.
Earlier, thanking the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the inauguration of National Police Memorial at Delhi, DGP, Dilbag Singh read out the names of police personnel across the country, including those from J&K Police, CRPF and BSF, who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty in the past one year.
‘Huge improvement in ground situation in Kashmir’
Srinagar, Oct 21: There is a huge improvement in the ground situation in Kashmir Valley and people coming out to vote in the recent civic polls in a peaceful atmosphere is a positive sign, Governor Satya Pal Malik said here Sunday.
“We are trying a lot to improve the situation at the ground level and as you can see, there is a huge improvement,” the Jammu and Kashmir Governor told reporters after addressing a Police Commemoration Day function at Zewan on the outskirts of the city.
The governor said the local body polls were conducted in a peaceful manner and congratulated the police and civil administrations and the people of the state.
“The turnout has been such (low) many times before and I do not want to take such a controversial question this time and I only want to say that the polls were peaceful and for that police, administration and other forces as well as people (deserve credit).
“Without people it was not possible. If they had come out on roads and indulged in violence, then it would not have been possible. I am thankful that this election was conducted without any loss of life or damage to property,” he said, when asked the low turnout in the elections.
Asserting that the situation in the valley was extraordinary and polls in the past have seen high as well as low turnouts, the governor said there were, however, no reports of rigging in these polls.
“I want to congratulate you (police) and I also have been congratulated by Delhi for the peaceful conduct of the polls. The situation here is extraordinary. Sometimes there has been a good turnout and sometimes not, but I have received congratulations from everyone in Delhi and have been told to congratulate the forces as well as the people for the peaceful polls. There have been no reports of any complaints about rigging in these polls,” he said.
Malik said people coming out to vote was a positive sign.
“In the last phase, around 10,000 people came out to vote in Srinagar. There was stone pelting on them and in turn those who voted also pelted stones, so police had to save the stone pelters. Some developments are taking place slowly and people are understanding those, but this is not an occasion to talk about them,” he said, without elaborating.
He refused to say anything on the independent candidates winning polls at most places.
The governor said the government would provide maximum monetary assistance to the new civic bodies and panchayats.
“Who becomes the mayor or not, is not our aim. We will give a maximum amount of money from the Centre or the state for the panchayats and municipalities and try to prove the point that these elections were for the people,” he said. (PTI)
