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Monday, July 26, 1999

Intelligence lapses not on Kargil panel's list

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA  
CALCUTTA, JULY 25: The Subrahmanyam committee, formed by the Centre to examine events leading to the Kargil intrusion, was `not meant' to probe intelligence lapses, Defence Minister Geroge Fernandes said today.

The non-statutory panel would review the situation that led to the conflict and recommend measures to strengthen national security, Fernandes said here.``The committee is not meant to probe intelligence failure. It will only review the situation that led to the conflict and recommend measures to strengthen national security,'' he said at a function in honour of Kargil soldiers.

Asserting that the Kargil conflict was not caused by failure of Indian intelligence, he said it was due to a `breach of trust' by Pakistan which had sent intruders along a 70-km stretch of the Line of Control (LoC).He said ``since 1972, there was an understanding between the two countries that about 70 km of difficult terrain of the LoC would not be manned. But Pakistan had broken this trust by sending in infiltrators.''India will intensify satellite, and aerial surveillance along the LoC ``to prevent another Kargil-like situation as it could no longer trust Pakistan ,'' Fernandes said.

Pakistan must stop incursion not only along the 140 km LoC from Guerez to Akhnoor but also along the entire 740 km long line in Jammu and Kashmir before any talks with that country can take place, he said. Infiltrators were still firing at the Indian troops ``in two or three posts'' in Kargil, Fernandes said and hoped that Pakistan would ``show some intelligence and stop this soon''.

The Defence Minister said he was first informed of the presence of `strangers' in the area in early May. Lauding the jawans for their bravery and success, he criticised the earlier governments for `not adequately' compensating the disabled jawans and the families of those killed in action.The families of those killed in action from now on would get a compensation of Rs 7.5 lakh, besides Rs five lakh for housing, and Rs one lakh for each dependent child (up totwo children) for their education and `settlement.'He said those permanently disabled would get Rs six lakh, besides Rs 3.5 lakh under a group insurance scheme and pension.

A cheque of Rs 76.88 lakh was handed over to Fernandes for the army central welfare fund at the function organised by the Srihari Satsang Samiti and Friends of Tribals Society.

Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.


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