Panels to meet top brass of Govt, Admn, others
*RS Secretariat reminds Members on guidelines
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 19: With budget session of the Parliament concluding, a number of Parliamentary Standing Committees (PSCs) are scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir beginning next month including the Panel on Home Affairs.
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“The Committees will be interacting with the people, stakeholders, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, representatives of the Government, senior officers of both police and civil administration and others to take stock of the situation and report to the Parliament,” official sources told the Excelsior.
A couple of PSCs visited Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month meeting cross sections of people and officers among others.
The visit of PSC on Home Affairs which is headed by BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Aggarwal assumes significance as it covers all aspects on anti-terrorism fronts including steps to check infiltration from across the borders, law and order situation etc.
Other committees will assess development in Jammu and Kashmir, delay in Panchayati Raj elections, implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes etc.
The PSC on MHA will also visit the Union Territory of Ladakh besides Jammu and Kashmir from May 10 to 15.
As per tour schedule of the PSC on Home, it will assemble at Katra on May 10 and have on-spot assessment of disaster preparedness at holy cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji on May 11. It will leave for Srinagar the same day by Vande Bharat Express train. On May 12, the Committee will meet representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs and administration of the UT in Srinagar to discuss administration, development and people’s welfare.
It will have a tour of Gulmarg on May 13 to assess security situation at tourist place. The PSC members will have an interaction with representatives of the Jammu and Kashmir Police at Sonmarg on May 14. The Committee will reach Kargil on May 15 and assess border security establishments and have an interaction with representatives of the Indian Army.
Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat has reiterated the direction of the Rajya Sabha Chairman issued in 2018 that no PSC member should take any other person during the official tours.
“A Member may, however, take his/her spouse on medical ground with prior permission of the Chairman of the Committee. In exceptional cases i.e. in case of extreme necessity where the Member’s spouse is not able to accompany him/her on tour due to medical or other reasons, the Members may take a companion/attendant on tour with the Chairman’s permission,” the direction said.
It said the companion/attendant should strictly be a family member, or any one of the persons engaged by the Member for obtaining Secretariat assistance, whose name has been intimated to the Secretariat by the Member.
Sources said the Government is of the view that visits of the Parliamentary Standing Committees, holding of conferences and tours of Central delegations will send a clear message of peace in Jammu and Kashmir especially the Valley and give boost to tourism as the season has started picking up.
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