Some Committees to visit Ladakh too
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 18: The Parliamentary Standing Committees (PSCs) are expected to visit Jammu and Kashmir shortly to hold meetings and give boost to tourism which has taken a hit after April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. However, only two or three PSCs may be able to visit the UT as Monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled to be held from July 21 to August 12.
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The PSC on Rural Development had undertaken visit to Jammu and Kashmir before Pahalgam attack while the PSC on Home Affairs was scheduled to tour the UT for six days from April 26 but the visit was postponed following Pahalgam attack.
However, according to sources, the Parliamentary Committees are now expected to visit Jammu and Kashmir to send a message of peace and perform their task of meeting different stakeholders to study the situation.
Some of the Parliamentary Committees are also scheduled to visit the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The Committee on ‘One Nation, One Election’ is also expected to visit Jammu and Kashmir though it has not given any dates so far. Jammu and Kashmir was among four States/UTs, the Committee had proposed to cover in Phase-I.
“Had the Parliamentary Committees started their visits in the month of April, many such Panels would have visited Jammu and Kashmir on study tours but because of Pahalgam terror attack followed by Operation Sindoor, the visits were deferred,” the sources said.
Twenty six civilians including 25 tourists and a local were killed by the terrorists at Baisaran in Pahalgam. The Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure and military establishments deep inside Pakistan and PoJK from May 6-10 killing large number of terrorists and destroying terror camps.
The PSC on Home Affairs which had finalized its six-day visit from April 26 had deferred the visit in view of the development while rest of the Panels which planned to visit the UT had also postponed their schedule.
“Now, some of the Panels are expected to visit J&K but since Monsoon session of Parliament is only a month away, only few Committees may visit while rest are expected to plan their tours after August 15,” the sources said.
The Parliamentary Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj headed by its Chairman Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka and comprising among others Jammu-Reasi Lok Sabha Member Jugal Kishore Sharma had undertaken a visit to Jammu and Kashmir prior to April 22
The team met senior officers of Jammu and Kashmir Government and took a feedback from them on the working and funding of three-tier system of Panchayati Raj Institutions including the District Development Councils, Block Development Councils and Panchayats.
The team also took a briefing on delay in conduct of elections to Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir.
It may be mentioned here that five-year term of Panchayats ended on January 9, 2024. Since term of the BDCs was co-terminus to the Panchayats, they too ceased to exist.
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