New Delhi, Sept 16: Government is all set to clear a proposal of raising territorial army battalions comprising counter insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir as part of moves to bolster their morale in the wake of a spate of killings of their leaders like Kuka Parray and some others. "The proposals are in final stages and are likely to be cleared by the cabinet committee on security within a month", the Vice Chief of the Army Staff Lt Gen Shantanu Choudhary said today. Asserting that the army and central as well as state administrations were committed to bringing Kashmiri militants to mainstream, Choudhry said a "rehabilitation package" for them including allowing them to set up milk cooperatives and other private ventures was also on the anvil.

The Vice Army Chief said that setting up of territorial army would provide the counter insurgents a legal framework to operate in counter insurgency as well as give them regular income. The government moves could not have come at a more significant time as the counter insurgents, who played a sterling role in changing the terrorist tide in Jammu and Kashmir in the mid 90's, are virtually on the run.

According to sources here, besides the slaying of politician turned militant Kuka Parray, two more top former commanders of Ikhwan have been killed in the past fortnight including Mohd Ismail Khan of mercenary infested Kulgam in South Kashmir. Bureau Report