Tuesday, January 4 2005 21:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Government today (Jan 4, 2005) announced increasing the recruitment to para-military forces from militancy-hit and border areas from 10 to 40 per cent.

This was announced by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee after an hour-long meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security.

Mukherjee told reporters that naxal-infested areas would be given para-military forces without any charge for three years.

The Government earlier used to charge Rs 13 crore annually for deployment of para-military forces in these areas, he said.

The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, also gave post-facto approval to the relaxation of visa norms for Pakistanis visiting India.

This, he said, would cover people over the age of 65, journalists and academicians and they will be allowed to travel to any area without the mandatory police reporting.

Besides Mukherjee, the meeting was attended by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and M K Narayanan, Special Adviser to Prime Minister who has been given the additional charge of National Security Adviser.

Asked about the appointment of new National Security Adviser in place of J N Dixit, who died yesterday, Mukherjee said, "these things are not discussed in CCS."