Thaindian News

Srinagar, March 17 (IANS) Continuing its efforts to reduce the footprints of the security forces in summer capital Srinagar, the Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir government Thursday removed 12 more paramilitary bunkers in the city.

Paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bunkers were removed from the densely populated Rainawari, Rajouri Kadal, Karan Nagar, Batmaloo and some other areas of the city.

“Twelve living bunkers have been removed from the city today, taking to around 40 the number of security forces bunkers removed in Srinagar since December 2010,” a senior police officer said here.

“It is a continuing process and more paramilitary bunkers would be removed in the days to come depending upon the improvement in the overall law and order situation here,” he said.

It must be mentioned that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been a strong advocate of reducing the footprints of the security forces in densely populated areas of the state.

Omar Abdullah has also stated he would have the Disturbed Areas Act revoked from some districts of the state as the law and order situation has improved here.

The revocation of the act would also result in revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which gives the security forces legal immunity, from these areas.

While the powers to revoke the Disturbed Areas Act lie with the state government, the decision to revoke the AFSPA must be taken by the central government.

“A practical way out is revocation of the Disturbed Areas Act by the state government which would render the AFSPA automatically inoperative in such areas,” said a prominent lawyer.

But the final call on revoking the AFSPA from a certain area will have to be taken by the Unified Headquarters, which is the security grid comprising local police, army, paramilitary forces, state and central intelligence agencies, sources here said.