Srinagar: The Army is working on a proposal to relocate the villages ahead of the fence along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir as it is “necessary” to safeguard the lives of people, a top Army officer said here on Thursday.
“Yes, there is a lot of thought going into this. We already have blueprints in place, but it requires cooperation and synergy with the civil administration because various aspects are involved in such a move,” Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Army’s strategic Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, told reporters.
He said while security is always a concern, “we cannot ignore the socio-economic factors that affect these people”.
“Therefore, a plan is evolving, and I am sure it will unfold in the near future because it is necessary,” he added.
Lt Gen Ghai said the safety of the people in those areas is a matter of concern and also the development in such areas is possibly constrained by the geographical locations.
“While there is a ceasefire understanding today, during times of cross-border shelling or firing, the safety of these people is also a concern. So, this is definitely an endeavour, and it is a work in progress. There is a plan being deliberated on,” he said.
He said India is taking note of every new method employed by any military force across the world.
Lt Gen Ghai, answering a question about the weaponisation of pagers used in the Israel-Lebanon conflict, said, “Every time a new method is employed by any military force across the world, we always take note of it to draw our own lessons, so we can incorporate what is relevant to us and prepare our army and armed forces accordingly.”
He said what is unfolding in the Middle East is a new trend and the manner in which it is unfolding is unique. “Therefore, we will certainly analyze it, put it into perspective, and come to conclusions about what is relevant and how it could affect us.”
Further, he said the Army will soon be able to crack the encrypted handsets used by militants in Jammu and Kashmir.

KR Desk