Will meet LG, top officials to review security, development
*Issues of KPs, PoJK, WP refugees, DPs on agenda
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 27: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has deputed a high-level team of top officers of the Home Ministry to Jammu and Kashmir on a three-day visit for review of security situation, developmental works, Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) and issues pertaining to Kashmiri Pandit migrants, Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK), West Pakistani refugees and displaced persons (DPs).
The team headed by Prashant Lokhande, Joint Secretary (Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh), Union Ministry of Home Affairs and other senior officers will reach here on February 28 and will return on March 2.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the MHA team will call on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhawan and discuss with him various issues related to development and security of Jammu and Kashmir.
“A detailed review of security situation and development works especially under the PMDP and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes is likely to take place during the meeting,” sources said.
The team will have separate meeting with Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta on host of issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir including requirements projected by the Union Territory administration before the Home Ministry from time-to-time.
The team will hold meeting with Administrative Secretaries of different departments and discuss host of issues regarding development, tourism, industry and problems of Kashmiri Pandit migrants; PoJK and West Pakistani refugees and other displaced persons.
Progress on the Centrally Sponsored Schemes and completion of works well in time will also come up for detailed review. Issues of migrants and other refugees are already being taken up on priority by the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
Security situation will be reviewed by the visiting team of Union Home Ministry on March 1. The meeting among others will be attended by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) RK Goyal and Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh among others.
Security situation in Jammu and Kashmir especially the Valley is constantly being reviewed by the Union Home Ministry and Jammu and Kashmir Government and it has been well under control excepting occasion targeted killings.
The anti-militancy operations are in full swing in the Valley and number of militants including top commanders of various outfits have been eliminated or apprehended. Police and other security agencies are also targeting Over Ground Workers (OGWs) network in the Valley as well as Jammu region.
Recently, a high-level meeting was also held by the Union Home Ministry in New Delhi to discuss phased replacement of Army from some districts of Jammu and Kashmir and its replacement with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). However, this issue is unlikely to figure in the meeting of visiting Home Ministry’s team with Jammu and Kashmir administration.
The Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes will also be reviewed at a high-level meeting of the Home Ministry team with top officials of Jammu and Kashmir administration, sources said.
A number of projects are under execution under PMDP in Jammu and Kashmir besides various works are going on under different Centrally Sponsored Schemes. The works are progressing smoothly, they added.
The Home Ministry team will return to New Delhi on March 2 and submit detailed report to the Union Home Minister, sources said.
While the discussion on Property Tax imposed recently by the administration in Jammu and Kashmir has been ruled out, the anti-encroachment drive, which has been temporary halted, could come up for review, they said.
Few days back, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and senior officers from civil and police administration in New Delhi to discuss security situation, development works and anti-encroachment drive in Jammu and Kashmir.
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