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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DEC. 6. The proposed State Ex-servicemen Corporation for the welfare of former services personnel, would be formed within the next few days.

This was announced here today by the Chief Minister Mr.A.K. Antony, while inaugurating the Civil Military Liaison Conference at the Government Guest House.

The Civil-Military Liaison Conference held this evening at the Government Guest House, provided an opportunity for the Chief Minister, Mr. A.K. Antony, and the General Officer-Commanding of the Southern States to exchange their views on Defence matters. In his inaugural speech, Mr. Antony extended his Government's support for the activities of the Defence forces in the State.

For the smooth functioning of the Defence establishments in the State, as well as for the welfare of the ex-service personnel from Kerala, the Government would do everything possible, he said. This was greeted by a round of loud applause, initiated by none other than Maj.Gen. Anup Singh Jamwal, the GOC, who was also joined by the other Service officers present at the conference.

The services rendered by the Defence forces, in maintaining law and order in certain areas of unrest in the State as well as on occasions of natural calamities like the one in Amboori, were acknowledged with gratitude by the Chief Minister.

The GOC on his part, reciprocated in the same vein, observing that the Kerala Government was highly magnanimous in matters relating to the welfare of the next of kin of those soldiers who had made the supreme sacrifice for the nation, especially in the Kargil operations.

Hereafter, a third of the financial assistance from the State Government to the dependents of the soldiers killed in action, would be set apart for the parents of the deceased.

The State Government would provide the land, office and other infrastructural facilities to start a unit of the Coast Guard at the Vizhinjam Harbour in Thiruvananthapuram district during the current financial year itself, Mr.Antony said. The Union Government had sanctioned the unit last month, he informed.

The Chief Minister who was highly appreciative of the role of the Defence forces, said that there was the need to maintain constant vigil to safeguard communal harmony in the country. In the fast changing national scenario, with internal security problems on the rise, the forces had to shoulder the added responsibility of maintaining law and order and suppressing extremist activity within, at the same time guarding the frontiers. A closer civil- defence cooperation would go a long way in achieving this, he added.

Despite its financial constraints, the State Government would do everything possible to strengthen the defence establishments here, he said.

Maj.Gen.A.S.Jamwal, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Goa Area, who presided over the conference, urged the States to evolve and develop disaster management schemes in the changed security scenario to contain man- made as well as natural disasters.

Prevention, detection, damage control, rescue, relief and rehabilitation were areas where the civil administration must grow in strength so that military could coordinate the efforts. Beefing up of intelligence acquisition means and real- time sharing of intelligence were the key words in combating terrorism and a workable model must emerge in each State, between the civil administration and the military authorities, he suggested.

The law and order situation was also likely to turn more violent, with the easy availability of weapons and explosives and unscrupulous elements ever ready to exploit the situation. Although the Army was there to redeem the situation and strengthen the hands of the civil administration on call, the police had to become more self reliant with specialised equipment and training, as was already on the anvil in Kerala, he added.

The GOC informed that the internal security situation had assumed serious proportions in many States and would continue to remain so. No State could sit back and just observe academically, the violent situation prevailing in the Kashmir valley or the ongoing clashes in the North-East. The terrorist strikes on the World Trade Center in the U.S. had exposed the vulnerability of nations. Fears of such actions were still looming large. Even worse was the threat of biological and chemical weapons being used by the unknown enemy somewhere. Such a growing threat could be countered only through concerted action on all fronts, he maintained.

The Mayor, Prof. J. Chandra, the Chief Secretary, Mr. V. Krishnamurthy, the Director General of Police, Mr. Hormis Tharakan, the Government secretaries, the District Collector Mr. K.R. Jyothilal, besides Brig.S.N.Handa, the Station Commander of the Pangode Military Centre, Air Commodore Pendharkar, Brig.Reddy and other senior officers of the three Services were present at the conference.

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