Himachal Pradesh today asked the central Govt to provide liberal financial assistance to strengthen the police and civil establishments in the borders areas of Lahaul Spiti and Kinnaur districts to provide the adequate response to the development of civil and military infrastructure by china along Indo – Tibet border.
While speaking in the conference of Chief Ministers on internal security in Vigyan Bhawan New Delhi today, Himachal Health and Family Welfare, revenue and law Minister Kaul Singh Thakur demanded for speedy and reliable connectivity in terms of infrastructure and technology in border areas and requested the central assistance for developing advance infrastructure and latest equipments to ensure the social and economic development of these snow bound areas which remains cut off from rest of world during winter season.
Thakur requested the union Govt to enhance financial allocations under Border Area Development Programme and demanded subsidized helicopter services to the border districts round the year to improve the movements in strategically located areas. He requested for broad-gauge railway line connecting Leh through Himachal Pradesh to improve the man and material to border areas of Ladakh, which are strategically important for the security of the country. He asked for 100% funding for Himachal police for equipping with high mountain gear and disaster management equipments to face the peculiar challenges like rescuing tourists, cloud burst, flash floods and avalanches etc. He demanded the sanction of one battalion of National Disaster Response Force in the state and offered land and other assistance from state Govt.
Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur requested the union Govt to provide technical, financial and logistic assistance to promote alternative crops in mid Himalaya’s terrain which are notorious for the illegal cultivation of cannabis and opium cultivation. He also asked union Govt to provide unmanned aerial vehicle to conduct aerial surveillance of the areas affected by cannabis and opium cultivation. He requested the central Govt to treat Himachal as “A” category state like J&K, North East States under modernization of police forces (MPF) for providing funding under central –state contribution ratio of 90:10 and told that at present the Himachal Pradesh has been put in the category of those states which are eligible for central —state contribution ratio of 60:40 which is proving major set back for modernization plans of the police force. He requested the union Govt to reconsider the decision of withdrawal of four companies of I T B P from sensitive border along J &K as recent intelligence has put this border on high alert.
Kaul Singh Thakur said that Himachal is the first state in the country to post women police personal in all police stations of the state and added that at least one woman non gazetted officer will be posted in all police stations during next 3 years. He said that all women quick reaction teams and central control rooms have been put up to address the cases of sexual assault and said that gender sensitization training would be organized to cover entire police force over next three years. He said that an elaborate standing operating procedure for investigation and registration o sexual offences will be shortly issued by the state government.
Himachal Minister Sh Kaul Singh Thakur demanded the reimbursement of entire security expenditure of His Holiness Dalai Lama and Karmapa Lama and told that the security is strengthened periodically in consultation with union home ministry.He said that at present only a part of expenditure of His Holiness Dalai Lama is being reimbursed by Ministry of External Affairs while entire expenditure on security of the Karmapa Lama is being borne by state govt .He said that state govt will set up Tibetan Refugee Unit in state intelligence department and Tibetan Refugee cell at Dharamshala in consultation of MHA and MEA to effectively monitor the activities of approximately 28501 Tibetan refugees residing in various parts of the state
