NSA in Srinagar to oversee implementation of government's Kashmir plan

New Delhi: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is reaching Srinagar to oversee the security situation after the scrapping of Article 370 and to observe the ground implementation of the government's 'Kashmir plan' there.

The NSA will be on ground shortly and is accompanied by senior officials from both the bureaucracy and security forces. They will be working on the ways of implementation of the steps required for the two new union territories created by the government, top government sources said here.

The sources said the topmost priority of the government is to ensure that the local population should not face any issues due to the implementation of the decisions.

"Already forces have been deployed in the Valley to tackle any violence, communal or otherwise, that is expected to be instigated by Pakistan there," the sources said.

The areas of concerns or the follow up action on situations that may emerge would be addressed by the government on multiple fronts, the sources said.

"Situations like Pakistan's efforts to internationalise the issue by taking it to the International Court of Justice have already been looked into," the sources said.

The sources also said Doval will hold discussions with all stakeholders on ground, including the bureaucracy and the security forces, on the creation of structures for the new administrative set up in the two new union territories.

As per the new structures that will come up in Jammu and Kashmir based on the Delhi model of Union Territory, it will be ensured that state police forces are controlled by the Centre. This will help in better coordination with the state.

"While taking the decision to turn the state into a union territory, we have also taken into account security situations that are going to emerge when American forces would withdrawing from Afghanistan and Pakistan turning the jihadis towards India," the sources said.

Under the new set up, land, police and civil services would be controlled by the Centre, they said.

Prior to the announcement of the government's decision to scrap Article 370 in Parliament today, the NSA was in the Valley for three days around the time when the 20th anniversary of the Kargil war was celebrated.

The sources said all stakeholders including the foreign ministry, defence forces - especially the Army - were included in the plans before the announcement was made.