CHANDIGARH: Five of the twelve Punjab Districts have virtually been placed under the Central Para Military forces, an announcement to this effect was made here today by the Punjab Chief Minister, Surjit Singh Barnala. According to the announcement the Punjab Government has decided to introduce a new Central Scheme under which the paramilitary forces will visit each town and village of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, parts of Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur Districts of Punjab twice a day to check the activities of antisocial elements,
These areas will be divided into sectors, and each sector will be put under the charge of a CRPE. Commandant who will be assisted by an officer of the Punjab police, usually of the rank of DSP.
‘These paramilitary forces will form a mobile force and will be provided with adequate transport facilities and substantial back up to improve their functional efficiency. The forces will have headquarters in townships.
Later the Chief Minister, who had a meeting with Senior Law officers and Law and order authorities, assured a five member Hindu Shiv sena deputation that law and order will be maintained at all costs. The Hindu Shiv sena leaders have sought security for Hindus in towns and villages of the State. The Hindu Shiv sena leaders, headed by Mr. S.K. Sarwal, General Secretary of the Punjab Hindu Shiv sena had put forward twelve demands before the Chief Minister. After discussing the problems with the Chief Minister, Mr Sarval, said that the Shivsena was fully satisfied with the discussions with the Chief Minister, The Shiv sena felt that after the meeting with the Chief Minister a new chapter in Hindu Sikh relations had opened. According to the official announcement, the Punjab Government would give from RS: 20,000 to RS: 50,000 to each of the Hindu killed in connection with the Punjab trouble, one member of each family would get government service as per eligibility, if any family had no such eligible member a sufficient loan will be advanced by the government so that it could run its ‘own independent business. Earlier, the Chief Minister had sought people’s cooperation in curbing violence. He warmed that if violence continued, the state might face imposition of Martial Law. He said that every Punjabi should work towards the maintenance of law and order. The Punjab Congress (I) had described Mr. Surjit Singh Barnala’s talk of the imposition of Martial Law in Punjab as virtual surrender of his responsibilities to maintain law and order. Ina joint statement, Dr. Kewal Krishan and Mr. K.C. Vashisht, General Secretaries of the Party and Mr. Mohan Lal, Treasurer, called upon the Punjab government, to crush what they called terrorists from their hide out and death with them firmly so that they are eliminated. The Chief Ministers action of entrusting the law and order to the C.R.P.F teams follows Congress [demand as well as pressure from the Hindu Shiv sena, Meanwhile, a C.R.P.P. Armuryat Tam Taran was looted by antisocial elements, according to official reports 16 rifles and four hundred forty cartridges were taken away. In another incident today certain antisocial elements looted forty thousand rupees and a jeep belonging to a businessman on the ‘Tam Tam Jandiala road, The jeep was recovered abandoned near ‘Jandiala.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 28, 1986
