Troop cut didn’t weaken security: Home ministry

The government’s move to reduce central security personnel from Jammu and Kashmir over the last six months has not weakened the security grid, a senior security official said in Delhi against the backdrop of attack in Srinagar.

The government’s move to reduce central security personnel from Jammu and Kashmir over the last six months has not weakened the security grid, a senior security official said in Delhi against the backdrop of attack in Srinagar.

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Last year the Centre started reducing security forces to enable Delhi to focus on naxal areas. The plan envisaged withdrawing nine battalions (each battalion has a sanctioned strength of 1,050 personnel) of the CRPF and eight battalions of the Border Security Force from the Valley.

Wednesday’s attack came a month after Home Minister P. Chidambaram spoke about the plan to withdraw central security forces from J&K.

“Places like J&K have more policemen than required,” a security official said. For one, five battalions of the BSF withdrawn as part of this rationalisation plan had already been replaced by CRPF personnel and were due to be withdrawn.

Four CRPF battalions withdrawn from the anti-insurgency grid were replaced by India Reserve Battalion personnel of the state police, leaving the state with about 65 battalions.