Will review Disaster Management Plan at Vaishnodevi on Aug 21
*Two more Parl Panels reaching Leh on Aug 25, 26
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 18: The Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Home Affairs arrived in Srinagar today after Leh and met several stakeholders including the District Development Committee (DDC) Chairpersons and Members, top officials of civil administration including the Principal Secretary Home, leading businessmen, tour and travel operators and reviewed development, administration and people welfare measures in the Valley while they will be in Jammu from August 20-22 during which among other issues they will review Disaster Management Plan at holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji.
Headed by veteran Congress leader Anand Sharma, the PSC on Home Affairs interacted with top officials including Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary Home, Ranjan Prakash Thakur, Principal Secretary Industries and Commerce, Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department, PK Pole, Divisional Commissioner, Sushma Chauhan, Secretary Higher Education Department, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Mayor Junaid Mattoo and other senior officers of Tourism Department and some Chairpersons of Municipalities at SKICC Srinagar.
“A detailed review of situation prevailing in Kashmir on various fronts including militancy, law and order, tourism, development and people welfare measures took place at the high-level meeting,” official sources told the Excelsior.
The PSC is understood to have taken feedback on various aspects of situation.
Senior officers of Home, Urban Development and civil administration briefed the Parliamentary Panel on the situation on anti-militancy front, steps taken to maintain law and order and development initiatives to boost tourism etc, they said.
The Committee also met a business delegation besides tour and travel operators including Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Sheikh Ashik, Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya, hotelier, Farooq Ahmad Kathoo, tour and travel operator, Ghulam Rasool Shah, chairman Houseboat/Shikarawala among others to know the problems faced by the people on tourism front and steps that can be taken by the Central and J&K Governments to give further boost to the tourism.
The PSC on Home Affairs had separate interaction with Mission Youth CEO Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary, DDC and BDC Chairpersons.
They wanted to know the steps being taken for local youth by the Mission Youth besides development works initiated by the District and Block Development Councils, their pattern of funding etc.
“The DDC and BDC Chairpersons also projected their issues and requirements before the PSC,” sources said.
The PSC on Home Affairs was in Leh for last two days and after their Kashmir visit, they will reach Jammu on August 20 before departing for New Delhi on August 22.
In Jammu, the Panel will meet civil and police officers on August 20 and review Disaster Management Plan of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji shrine on August 21.
In Srinagar tomorrow, they are scheduled to visit certain CRPF camps.
Members of the PSC on Home Affairs 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.
Meanwhile, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) headed by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury met senior Army officials in Leh today and later left for New Delhi.
Meanwhe, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce headed by V Vijayasai Reddy will be visiting Leh on August 26 while the Committee on Urban Development headed by Jagdambika Pal will reach Leh on August 25.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the LAHDC Kargil comprising the Executive Councilor for Works Aga Syed Abbas Razvi and Executive Councilor for Health Mohsin Ali called on the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs chaired by the Chairman of the committee Congress MP Anand Sharma at Leh yesterday, an official statement by the LAHDC said.
The delegation submitted various issues pertaining to the district which included among others the demand for empowerment of the LAHDCs and other issues related to education, employment and other important aspects of Kargil district.
The delegation projected demand that the budgets at the disposal of the LAHDCs should be made non-lapsable so that maximum number of development works can be executed in the region, implementation of the section 43 and section 44 of the LAHDC Act, 1997 and restoration of the Council Funds Account Head 8448, incorporation of Council Fund in the current PFMS system and making all budgets non-lapsable keeping in view the short working season.
The delegation also urged for financial powers to the LAHDCs to effect accord of administrative approval for works up to Rs 5 crores and for contract allotment up to Rs 25 crores, formulation of inter-district Advisory Committee as mandated in the LAHDC Act, increasing the strength of Executive Council by addition of the post of Deputy Chairman in the LAHDCs and other related issues.
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