E-Paper
Fall in stone-pelting in J&K since Aug 5: MHA
Home ministry officials said as many as 190 stone pelting incidents have been reported in Kashmir valley since August 5 and a total of 544 incidents thus far in 2019 as against 802 in all of 2018.
Stone pelting incidents have come down in Jammu and Kashmir this year, especially since August 5,when Article 370, which gave special status to the region was nullified, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) said on Wednesday.
Home ministry officials said as many as 190 stone pelting incidents have been reported in Kashmir valley since August 5 and a total of 544 incidents thus far in 2019 as against 802 in all of 2018.
As of December 8, 250 stone-pelters were in jail in Kashmir.
The ministry officials added that 23 political leaders in J&K have also been detained or arrested and the process of releasing them is underway.
Sharing figures of infiltration, the MHA said there have been a total 171 attempts of infiltration from across the border till October and that 114 of them were successful. Of the total successful infiltration bids, 59 were since August, one of the officials said on condition of anonymity. There were 143 successful infiltrations in 2018, 136 in 2017 and 119 in 2016.
Sharing data on apple trade in the valley, the ministry said the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) has so far procured 1.6 million metric tonnes of apples from the valley and aims to touch 2.25 million by March 2020. In 2018-19, the apple procurement was 1.6 million metric tonnes.
MHA officials said 280 e-terminals have been set up around Jammu & Kashmir for accessing the internet -- regular internet access has been suspended since August 5 -- in 10 districts of Kashmir valley and that these have been used by 2.60 lakh people since.
On August 5 and 6, Indian Parliament passed laws and resolutions to bifurcate the region of Jammu & Kashmir into two union territories and also abrogated Article 370. As part of measures to contain the fallout, political leaders were detained, internet access was cut, and security tightened in the region, especially in Kashmir Valley.
