84 security camps, bunkers removed from JK since 2009: Mehbooba

Most of the camps and bunkers were removed from summer capital Srinagar during the previous NC-Congress regime.
File photo | PTI
File photo | PTI

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday disclosed that 70 security camps and 14 bunkers were removed from the Valley since January 2009.

In a written reply a question by opposition NC leader and former CM Omar Abdullah regarding number of security camps and bunkers in towns and cities of Kashmir province, Mehbooba informed the Legislative Assembly that 258 camps and 18 bunkers existed in the Valley as on January 1, 2009.

“Of the 258 camps and 18 bunkers, highest number of 117 camps and 11 bunkers were present in Srinagar. Apple town of Sopore in North Kashmir had 35 camps followed by South Kashmir’s Kulgam district with 27 camps, Pulwama 21 camps, Budgam 20 camps, Anantnag 13 camps, Bandipora 8 camps, Shopian 5, Baramulla 4, Kupwara 3, Handwara and Awantipora 2 each and Ganderbal in central Kashmir 1,” she said.

The CM further informed that apart from 11 bunkers in Srinagar, Awantipora had 3 bunkers and Budgam, Handwara, Kupwara and Bandipora had a bunker each.

Mehbooba said 70 security camps and 14 bunkers have been removed from towns and cities in Kashmir in last seven years.

“41 camps and 10 bunkers were removed from Srinagar. Of these 5 were removed in 2009, 16 in 2010, 14 in 2011, 12 in 2012, 2 in 2013 and 2 in 2015,” she disclosed.

The CM in her written reply further informed that one security camp was removed from Anantnag in 2009, 8 camps were removed from Kulgam, 5 camps were removed from Pulwama, 35 camps were removed from Shopian, 2 bunkers were removed from Awantipora, 2 camps were removed from border district of Kupwara, a camp and a bunker were removed from Bandipora, 7 camps were removed from Sopore and a bunker was removed from Handwara.

Giving a year-wise detail, Mehbooba said 11 security camps and bunkers were removed in 2009, 22 camps and bunkers in 2010, 19 camps and bunkers in 2011, 15 camps and bunkers in 2012, 8 camps and bunkers in 2013, 3 camps and bunkers in 2014, 5 camps and bunkers in 2015 and 1 bunker in Handwara in Kupwara district was removed.

The bunker in Handwara, Kupwara was removed after killing of five civilians by security men in April this year.

As per the figures given by Mehbooba, only four bunkers now exist in the Valley.

"The removal of remaining bunkers and camps of Army and paramilitary forces will depend on the review of security situation in consultation with all stakeholders, on case to case basis," she said.

As per the official figures, no bunker exists in South Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian, where militants are very active and encounters have been taking place frequently.

In last week, militants attacked a BSF convoy in Anantnag killing three BSF men.

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