Saturday, July 29 2006 13:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: Recommending a four-point peace mission for militancy-torn Jammu and Kashmir, President A P J Abdul Kalam yesterday (July 28, 2006) advocated a state-level movement to eliminate terrorism and the setting up of an economic zone near the Line of Control.

"Citizens must be allowed to participate in large numbers for curbing terrorism. Schools and colleges should promote value-based education right from primary education," Kalam, who is here on a two-day visit, said in his maiden address to the state assembly here.

Kalam, who arrived here from Leh after inaugurating a week-long Buddhist festival, asked the state government to authorise law enforcement agencies to make Kashmir free from terrorists in a mission mode approach.

In an apparent reference to Kashmiri Pandit migrants, he said a 'conducive environment' should be created for all Kashmiris who had left the state to return and contribute to the growth.

"The police can consider creation of open police control van patrolling services in small towns and crowded areas. There is also a need to develop highway police, highway tracking and surveillance system as also the possibility of having helicopter-based surveillance system for early detection of trouble spots and (to) render assistance," the President said.

Kalam said citizens who wished to cooperate in the peace mission must be provided sepcial security. He asked the state government to consider the introduction of national identity cards for all government-to-government, government-to- citizens, business-to-business and business-to-citizen transactions.

"The judiciary must consider the creation of a fast judicial process for settling terrorism-related cases," he said.

Advocating the setting up of an economic zone at the LoC, Kalam said, "The state government may consider alloting the land on lease basis in consultation with the Army for horticulture and agriculture utilisation. Once the people participate in the development of the land, they themselves will oppose intervention from wrong elements," he said.

"There is also a need to provide special security in this zone," he said.

Earlier, Kalam was accorded a warm welcome by Governor Lt Gen S K Sinha, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and state ministers at the airport here when he arrived for the second leg of his two-day visit to the state.

In Leh, the President had inaugurated the 2,550th Buddha Jayanti celebrations at the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre and a residential school for the visually impaired.