India rejects remarks about human rights situation in J-K, says no life lost, no bullet fired

Rejecting the statements of some orgsations about the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir, India on Thursday said that these were not based on facts and that the administration is handling the situation with "maturity and restraint."

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the facts of the situation were being presented on a regular basis by the Jammu and Kashmir administration.

He said the administration was putting all resources necessary to ensure that normalcy returns as soon as possible and no life has been lost and not a single live bullet has been fired.

"Some international orgsations are trying to tell us how we should conduct our matters. We have seen statements from coming from a few orgsations on the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir. We completely reject such unsubstantiated statements. These are not based on facts," Kumar said in response to a query.

Five UN human rights experts had urged India to end restrictions in Kashmir.

Kumar referred to the press conference of Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday in which he had announced several measures including filling of vacancies.

"The local government is handling the situation with maturity and restraint. Not a single life has been lost. Not a single live bullet has been fired. The administration is putting all resources necessary to ensure that normalcy returns as soon as possible," he said.

Referring to the situation on August 5 when the Central government repealed Article 370, Kumar said there has been "a gradual but a positive improvement" in the situation on the ground.

He said the situation in the Valley cannot be compared to the situation in other parts of the country and even before August 5, things were not normal to the extent compared to other cities in the country.

"But there is a commitment that lives should not be lost and that is what the government of Jammu and Kashmir is working towards."

Kumar said 85 per cent of police stations were without any day-time restrictions.

"He (Governor) announced that 50,000 vacancies will be filled up in government departments. There was an announcement of MSP for apple crop. In this context it was mentioned that NAFED has committed Rs 5,000 crores for procuring 50 per cent of apple production in the state," he said.

Referring to restrictions imposed in Kashmir, he said of 111 police stations, there are no day-time restrictions in 81. "If we take the overall figure, we are looking at 85 per cent of police stations without any day-time restrictions," he said.

Kumar said mobile phones "have been opened" in 10 districts of Jammu and the revenue districts of Kupawara and Handwara.

"Landlines are operating in Jammu and Ladakh. We have announced a phased opening of landlines in the Valley. There are certain manual interventions, which are required. That is the reason it may take some time," he said.

Kumar said the government has also announced that it would ensure the preservation, protection of heritage, language and identity of the region.

He said it was also announced that elections to block development councils would be completed by October to take democracy to the grassroots.

Referring to education, he said that 3000 primary schools and 1000 middle schools were functional. "Yesterday the Governor also announced that high schools will open very soon. Banking and ATM facilities are operating normally."

He said reports in media about the shortage of drugs were false.

"We have reports from different hospitals in the Valley. We have seen stocks of life-saving drugs," he said, adding that there is no instance that any hospital has reported a shortage of drugs or disposable items.

( With inputs from ANI )