‘Secure campuses’ to house kin of security personnel

New Delhi: The home ministry will soon discuss with the Jammu & Kashmir  administration a plan to set up “secure campuses’’ which will have residential colonies for families of security personnel involved in counter-terror operations in the Valley. Sources said some other measures to provide more security to such families were also being discussed. The move comes close on the heels of terror outfit kidnapping of relatives of security personnel  in the Valley.

Terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen is said to be behind the unprecedented hostage drama in the Valley in which they had abducted three police personnel of J&K Police and eight relatives of security personnel. All of them however, were released on Friday.

However, both Centre and State administration has taken a serious note of the development saying this was a “new and an unprecedented modus operandi’’ adopted by the terror groups. Fearing that militants may resort to similar pressure tactics in future again the security establishment has already started working on a plan to avoid a repeat of such incidents in future.

 As part of the plan, sources said, one of the option being examined was setting up of “secure campuses’’ for immediate family members of security personnel in the Valley. The fully secure campus will have residential premises for such families to prevent them from being targeted by terror groups. Plans are also being discussed to provide security cover to these families at their existing residence.

 “The problem is mainly with the local Jammu & Kashmir Police and not so much with Army or central para-military forces whose families in any case live outside the Valley. We are examining a plan where some sort of a cantonment area can be set up for J&K Police where their family members can be shifted particularly in parts of south Kashmir,’’a senior security official said.

 In addition, all security personnel involved in counter-terror ops in the Kashmir Valley have been instructed not share any personal details regarding families or even their travel plans. Security forces have also been advised to take extra precaution in keeping identity of personnel involved in such operations a complete secret.

 With Jammu & Kashmir now under Governor’s rule, Home Ministry is hopeful that they will be able to expedite putting in place the new arrangements in a bid to provide the forces a more secure environment to work in.