The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs which began its four-day visit to Jammu & Kashmir on Wednesday held several meetings with select stakeholders on the “administration, development and people’s welfare in the UT of J&K”, said officials.
The committee members will be holding series of meetings during the visit for an in-depth understanding of their issues and problems. This visit comes almost two months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met top political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The committee will also review the working conditions of three Central armed police forces, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Border Security Force (BSF),” officials added.
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On Wednesday the committee held detailed interactions with representatives of grassroot institutions, Panchayati Raj institutions and Urban Local Bodies.
The committee, comprising 28 members of Parliament from Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha, is headed by senior Congress leader and member of Parliament, Anand Sharma.
On its first day on Wednesday, the panel deliberated upon different issues pertaining to infrastructure, development, employment opportunities, business and trade, tourism, government run schemes and other issues. “The PRI representatives presented their views on their further empowerment as per the 73rd and 74th amendment. The committee members listened to all the demands and issues and grievances put forth by the representatives of the grassroot institutions, while assuring them of including the suggestions in their report,” the J&K government spokesman said.
{{/usCountry}}On its first day on Wednesday, the panel deliberated upon different issues pertaining to infrastructure, development, employment opportunities, business and trade, tourism, government run schemes and other issues. “The PRI representatives presented their views on their further empowerment as per the 73rd and 74th amendment. The committee members listened to all the demands and issues and grievances put forth by the representatives of the grassroot institutions, while assuring them of including the suggestions in their report,” the J&K government spokesman said.
{{/usCountry}}Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu tweeted about the meeting.
“Met the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs (RS) at SKICC today for a briefing about Urban Local Bodies. Was joined by Deputy Mayor, Srinagar and Presidents of various Municipal Committees. Principal Secretary HUDD and Principal Secretary Home were also present,” Mattu tweeted.
PM Modi had on June 24 held the first high-level interaction between the Centre and political leadership mainly from Kashmir after August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two union territories.
Among the 14 leaders who participated in the meeting were Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad, Tara Chand, and GA Mir; National Conference’s Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah; PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti, J-K Apni Party’s Altaf Bukhari. The issue of restoration of statehood was also raised by several participants in the meeting.