724 people booked under PSA since 2009: Govt

Srinagar: Government on Wednesday said that 724 people have been detained under Public Safety Act (PSA) since January last year.
Responding to the questions of legislators of opposition parties and independent legislator Er Rashid over the number of people booked under PSA and TADA and whether the government intends to grant hem amnesty to restore normalcy in the state, Home Minister on the floor of the house today said that 724 persons have been booked under PSA since January 2009 till date. However, no person the Home Minister said has been booked under TADA.
Since January this year, the minister said 322 people have been booked under the PSA. The detainees, he said  include 49 local militants, 43 over-ground workers (OGW’s), 22 Separatists, 50 stone pelters, 13 drug peddlers, 51 foreign militants, 11 foreign nationals, 15 Burmese nationals. 27 Bangladeshi nationals and 41 timber smugglers etc.
“A meeting of the unified combined command headquarters was held on Sept 29 under the chairmanship of Chief Minister. Among other things, it was decided to immediately release youths/ students who have been arrested for stone pelting. It was also decided to convene a meeting of review committee on October 6, this year to review the cases of persons detained under PSA,” the minister added.
About the number of prisoners released since the Omar Abdullah government took over, the minister said that 183 prisoners have been released from Jails by the NC-Congress coalition government till September this year.