Deployment of CRPF not out of pleasure, but compulsion: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said the deployment of paramilitary forces in the Valley was a compulsion and they will be sent back to the barracks as soon as the situation returns to normal.

CRPF personnel have been deployed in view of vandalism by miscreants as they target vehicles, she stressed.

"In one such incident, a girl was killed at Parimpora in the city. Once there is improvement in situation, the vandalism decreases, the role of security forces will decrease. They will go back to their barracks," she told reporters.

"Deployment of (paramilitary) CRPF is not done out of pleasure but due to security apprehensions of the people who want to carry on with normal lives," she said.

The Chief Minister appealed to the parents to help the government in normalising the situation keeping in mind the future of their children.

On the protests over holding of board examinations as per schedule next month, she said the board exams will be held in time to avoid loss of academic time of students.

"The students will have more options (in terms of questions to answer) as they have not been able to complete the studies due to situation in Kashmir.

"We will also make arrangements for tuitions for students in government schools wherever possible so that they can prepare for examinations. We will also consider reducing the syllabus but examinations will be held on time," she added.

Mehbooba enlisted the measures taken by her government for the betterment of the women and girl students in the state.

"We have started separate buses, police stations and launched Ladli scheme for the women. My government's focus has been to provide more facilities to the women and girls. That is why we kept provision of scooty scheme in the budget for those girls who cannot afford autorickshaws.

"We are giving 50 per cent subsidy for these girl students for buying scooty. It will help in education of girl child coming from economically weaker sections," she said.

The Chief Minister said the government has launched this scheme in Jammu and more scooties will be handed out to girl students in coming days.

"However, we have not been able to do it in Kashmir yet due to the ongoing situation. It is good that poor girls are demanding this facility here (Kashmir) also," she said.