MHA’s panel on demographic changes reaches Jammu, to meet stakeholders

The ministry of home affairs has constituted the panel with an objective to study demographic changes happening in various states and UTs due to illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons

A high-level panel headed by registrar general and census commissioner of India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, reached here on a three-day visit to study demographic changes arising from illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons, said people familiar with the development.

The official informed that the panel is likely to visit border areas and places, which have witnessed demographic changes. (File)

“The panel head retired justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar could not come, but it has certainly arrived here on Monday. The panel is being led by registrar general Mritunjay Kumar Narayan. It has Durga Shankar Mishra, a retired IAS officer, Balaji Srivastava, a retired IPS officer and Dr Shamika Ravi,” said a top official.

“The panel will meet various stakeholders, including members of the civil society, to study demographic changes in Jammu,” he added.

The official informed that the panel is likely to visit border areas and places, which have witnessed demographic changes. “The panel will also meet senior government officials in Jammu and Kashmir for their assessment of the situation and what they feel about demographic changes,” he said.

The panel will submit its report within a year.

On August 3, at least 21 suspected illegal immigrants from Bangladeshi were detained by the Jammu and Kashmir Police from Banihal area of Ramban district during a verification drive after they were found without valid travel or immigration documents.The presence of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar across Jammu have raised grave concern within the security establishment in J&K.

Jammu region has witnessed a spike among Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, especially in Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Kishtwar, Ramban and Doda districts.