Monitor ISI activity in State: Lt. Gen. Sharma

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MAY 5. The Chief of Staff of the Southern Army Command, Lt. Gen. M. R. Sharma, has called for close monitoring of the ISI activity in Kerala.

Presiding over the Civil Military Liaison Conference here today, he said that interaction between the Army and the State Government on this aspect deserved high priority.

He said bomb blasts in Tamil Nadu showed that the ISI was fast spreading its tentacles in the southern States. Illegal arms and ammunition were finding their way into Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

He said that Pakistan had stepped up its proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir after its debacle and loss of face in Kargil. It had necessitated continued employment of bulk of the Army and paramilitary forces in that State and in the North-East. He felt that the magnitude of the problem was likely to continue if not worsen.

He underscored the need for mutual interaction, trust, faith and understanding between civil and military officers.

The Chief Secretary, Mr. M. Mohan Kumar, who inaugurated the conference in the absence of the Chief Minister, Mr. E. K. Nayanar, said the State Government would do everything possible to alleviate the problems of serving soldiers and ex-Servicemen. Steps for the formation of an ex- Servicemen corporation were in the final stage. Detailed proposals in this regard had already been placed before the Cabinet.

He said the Government proposed to set up district-level monitoring committees to look into the problems soldiers and ex- Servicemen. The committees, to be chaired by the District Collectors, would include a representative of the armed forces. He also offered to consider the request for granting house tax exemption to invalid soldiers and war widows.

He announced the State Government's decision to write off a sum of around Rs. 16 lakhs which defence units in the State owed to the Government by way of import duty on foreign liquor.

From the Army's side, the meeting was attended by Maj. Gen. S. P. Kapoor, General Officer Commanding, Southern Area, Brig. L. S. Reddy, Brig. D. P. Singh, Station Commander, Pangode Military Centre, Air Commodore S. S. Nasargi of the Southern Air Command, and other senior officers of the three services.

Apart from the Chief Secretary, the State Government was represented by the Principal Home Secretary, Mr. V. Krishnamoorthy, the Home Secretary, Mr. K. K. Vijayakumar, the Additional Director General of Police, Mr. P. R. Chandran, the GAD Secretary, Mrs. Lissy Jacob, the Taxes Secretary, Mrs. Nalini Netto, the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations, Mrs. Valsala Kumari, the District Collector, Mrs. Sarada Muralidharan, and other senior officers.

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