Republic Day was celebrated across Kashmir on Friday with functions held at all district headquarters of the valley amidst tight security arrangements, officials said here.
The main function was held at the Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium here and advisor to Lieutenant Governor Rajesh Rai Bhatnagar was the chief guest and presided over the function. Braving cold, contingents of the police, CRPF, SSB, NCC and school children took part in the march past where Bhatnagar took the salute.
After the parade, artists from various parts of the union territory performed at the cultural event. In his address, Bhatnagar said the administration has taken steps to put Jammu and Kashmir on the path to overall development.
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"While 1.88 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2022, the number rose to 2.11 crore in 2023. More than 31,000 vacancies have been referred to recruitment agencies like PSC and SSRB," Bhatnagar said. The advisor paid tributes to security forces who laid down their lives in the line of duty. He also expressed gratitude to the paramilitary and police force for ensuring internal security.
While security force personnel were deployed in numbers to ensure smooth passage of the functions, the atmosphere in the city was visibly relaxed with fewer check posts set up to regulate traffic. Concertina wires were also not used to block the intersections in the city.
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The internet on mobile devices was not suspended, which used to be a regular feature of the security drill after the 2005 IED blast, triggered by using a mobile phone, outside the venue of the Independence Day function here. Several functions were held at all district headquarters of the valley where respective deputy commissioners presided over the proceedings.
