Takes in-depth review of requirements, development
PAC visits Drass, interacts with Army officials
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 17: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs today met top officials of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which guards the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh. The Committee also had detailed interaction with Union Territory administration of Ladakh and representatives of Leh and Kargil Hill Development Councils.
The Panel is headed by senior Congress leader Anand Sharma and comprised 16 Members of Parliament from Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha.
Meanwhile, the Public Accounts Committee headed by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury today visited Drass, the second coldest place in the world, in Kargil district of Ladakh and will also visit Leh to meet Army officials.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs assessed in detail the requirements of ITBP which is deployed along LAC with China though Army is now in forefront following confrontation with People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Eastern Ladakh for past quite some time now.
Top ITBP officials based in Leh were reported to have given detailed briefing to the PSC members on their requirements besides situation along LAC with China.
The PSC members’ interaction with ITBP officers lasted about an hour, sources said.
The PSC members also met the administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
As the Union Territories’ directly fall under the domain of Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the administration presented their view point on developments in the UT during last two years when Ladakh was separated from erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir and made a Union Territory along with J&K.
“The UT Administration is understood to have given detailed presentation to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs pertaining to their requirements,”’ sources said, adding the administration also presented detailed account of development works done during past couple of years.
While there was no official word on requirements submitted by the administration of the Union Territory, sources pointed out that the presentation was given sector-wise.
The Standing Committee later also met representatives of both Leh and Kargil Hill Development Councils in Leh.
While Leh Council was represented by the Chief Executive Councilor and the Deputy CEC, the Kargil Hill Council had deputed two Executive Councilors for the meeting. Kargil Council CEC-cum-Chairman Feroz Khan was not present in the meeting.
The Hill Councils presented their view point on further empowerment of the Councils including more powers, sources said, adding the Parliamentary Standing Committee members listened to demands raised by the Council representatives very patiently and assured to include them in their recommendations.
It may be mentioned here that Ladakh is eagerly awaiting Rules for Residentship Certificate following abrogation of State Subject to give boost to the process of recruitment. It has rejected Domicile Certificate like Jammu and Kashmir.
Land Rules are also awaited. So is the Warrant of Precedence.
However, the Central Government has assured representatives of Ladakh that all these Rules will be issued shortly which will be in the interest of Ladakh.
Members of the PSC on Home Affairs, who are in Leh, include Rakesh Sinha, Neeraj Shekhar, P Bhattacharya, Pothuganti Ramulu, PP Mohammad Faizal, Dulat Chandra Goswami, Sanjay Bhati, Geeta Viswanath Vanga, Ravneet Singh, Raja Amareshwar Naik, Dr Satya Pal Singh, Ranjeet Singh Naik Nimbalkar, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Sarmishta Sethi and Dr Anil Jain. The Committee is headed by Anand Sharma.
Meanwhile, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) headed by veteran Congress leader and party’s leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Choudhary today visited Drass in Kargil district of Ladakh and met with Army officials and jawans, guarding the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.
On July 26, Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated every year in Drass as it was on this day in 1999 that India had won over two-month long war with Pakistan fought in the Icy mountains of Kargil.
The PAC will visit Leh and meet senior Army officials.
The PAC will assess requirements of Army along both Line of Actual Control with China and Line of Control with Pakistan in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
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