Srinagar, Sep 09: The Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) for Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, presided over a significant high-level meeting today, joined by officers from various security agencies and intelligence units in the Anantnag district, to assess the security situation on the National Highway (NHW) and to evaluate the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) implemented by security forces during convoy movements.
The meeting was attended by several key officials, including GOC Victor Force, Inspector General of Traffic for Jammu and Kashmir, Army’s Sector Commander 1st, Deputy Inspector General of Police for South Kashmir Range, Deputy Inspectors General from Border Security Force (BSF) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), as well as Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officials from Awantipora and Anantnag, among others.
During the meeting, the ADGP directed the Superintendents of Police (SSsP) and officers from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the Army to identify locations along the National Highway that require engineering interventions, such as raising divider heights, establishing direct lateral entries and U-turns, and implementing service lanes. Additionally, they were tasked with identifying spots where underpasses or overpasses could be beneficial to maintain traffic flow.
The ADGP also called upon the district heads to identify areas suitable for additional CCTV installations. Furthermore, he instructed them to deploy Station House Officers (SHOs) and Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs) on NHW during convoy movement at vulnerable points. ADGP Kumar emphasized the need to discourage illegal constructions and provide assistance to civil administration and the National Highways Authority in removing such unauthorized structures along the National Highway.
Meanwhile, ADGP Vijay Kumar encouraged all participants to conduct a joint survey of NHW in relation to convoy movements within their respective areas of responsibility. He urged them to propose necessary changes to the SOPs to ensure the smooth flow of civilian traffic during convoy movements without undue disruptions.
It was resolved during the meeting that civilian traffic on the National Highway would not be halted during the movement of VVIPs and senior officers as an immediate measure. Additional measures to ensure the unhindered flow of civilian traffic in phases were also discussed and will be further reviewed for approval.
The attending officers were tasked with conducting joint surveys and developing SOPs to facilitate traffic flow without compromising convoy security. Special attention was directed towards lateral entries on the National Highway, with a suggestion to deploy additional personnel for enhanced management.
In order to maintain a seamless flow of vehicles, the ADGP urged the Traffic Police to allocate additional manpower to critical and busy lateral entry points. Furthermore, all district Superintendents of Police (SsP) were instructed to generate specific intelligence inputs and initiate anti-terrorist operations along the NHW, taking legal action against Over Ground Workers (OGWs) operating in these areas.
