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Fernandes to check out Amarnath Yatra security arrangements on Friday

Defence Minister George Fernandes will pay a one-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to oversee arrangements for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra.

The defence minister's visit to Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow to visit the cave shrine devoted to Lord Shiva will be his third visit to the state since he assumed charge of the portfolio about four months ago.

Jammu and Kashmir has been high on Fernandes's priority, as he visited the state soon after paying a visit to the North-East, his first trip outside Delhi as defence minister.

Fernandes visited Jammu and Kashmir for the second time on June 23. He toured some forward border posts and the Siachen Glacier area during his visit.

After visiting the glacier and having a first-hand account of things, the defence minister announced a Siachen allowance of Rs 7,000 per month for officers and Rs 4,667 per month for other ranks retrospectively from August 1, 1997.

The defence minister will visit Awantipur and Pahalgam prior to his visit to the shrine proper and apprise himself of the security and other arrangements for the yatra, which is an annual feature.

After his visits to J&K, the defence minister visited an exhibition of captured arms and ammunition organised in the capital. The exhibition was inaugurated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The exposition of captured weapons has been described as an attempt to sensitise people about the dangers of externally-aided insurgency and to educate the international community about the kind of proxy war being faced by India in the sensitive border state.

The BJP-led government at the Centre has announced a number of measures to help J&K tide over its financial difficulties. This includes an ''on account'' release of Rs 2.5 billion pending further discussions.

UNI

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