Srinagar, May 18 -- The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday approved a proposal for deploying former military personnel to safeguard vital infrastructure across the Union territory, officials said.

Terming it a unique collaboration between veterans and civil authorities, the official said 4,000 ex-servicemen volunteers have been identified for the initiative, and their role is "non-combatant", focusing on static guard duties, presence-based deterrence and local coordination.

"In a major step towards strengthening community-based security and harnessing the capabilities of former military personnel, the sainik welfare board of J&K had moved a proposal for mobilising ex-servicemen (ESM) to safeguard vital infrastructure across the UT...