Title - Security hutments along railway track in Kashmir Valley

Srinagar: Railway police in Kashmir is constructing security hutments along the 120-kilometre track in the Valley for ensuring safety of the infrastructure which has been targeted by militants in the past, officials said. "The focus of the GRP over the past few months has been to ensure security of the tracks and other railway properties. In this regard, surveillance hutments are being constructed along the tracks," an official of the Railway police said. He said communication facilities are also being improved for the railway police personnel in order to respond effectively to any untoward incident like accidents or acts of sabotage. Train service between Qazigund in south Kashmir and Baramulla in north Kashmir within the Valley were started in October 2008 but the railway property has been targeted by militants as well as mobs since then. While militants blew up the tracks in Pulwama district couple of times and also killed a railway engineer and his brother in 2004, railway property worth crores of rupees was destroyed by protestors during the 2010 summer agitation in the Valley. Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Railways A Q Manhas held a meeting with officers and jawans of GRP Kashmir at Railway Station Nowgam here yesterday, a police spokesman said. Manhas said GRP Kashmir is passing through the stage of infancy as such emphasis was laid for making available the infrastructural facilities like accommodation, drinking water and electricity for the comfort of the personnel.