SRINAGAR: A high-level Parliamentary Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs is scheduled to embark on a six-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir from April 26 to May 1 for an on-spot assessment of the security and border situation in the Union Territory, amid a recent spike in militant activity and ceasefire violations along the Line of Control.
The committee, headed by senior BJP leader Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, comprises 31 members, including prominent political figures such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Supriya Sule, Ajay Maken, Kapil Sibal, Derek O’Brien, and Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. Sources confirmed that the panel will visit both the Jammu and Kashmir divisions and interact with senior officials from the Home Department, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and Central Armed Police Forces engaged in counter-terror operations.
While such visits are part of the committee’s routine oversight functions, this particular tour has assumed greater importance in light of the heightened security concerns in the Jammu region. Over the past month, five militants were neutralised in separate encounters in Kathua and Kishtwar districts, while four police personnel lost their lives in the line of duty. On the border front, there have been repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan in the Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu sectors. A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army was recently martyred in Akhnoor while foiling an infiltration bid.
During its tour, the committee is expected to visit sensitive border areas, including the Line of Control and the International Border, to interact with personnel of the Border Security Force and assess infiltration threats. Officials said the MPs may also hold meetings with people’s representatives and local residents in interior areas once affected by militancy to gain ground-level feedback.
In anticipation of the visit, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has appointed 25 Liaison Officers drawn from multiple departments to facilitate the committee’s engagements across the two regions. These include senior officers from education, health, tourism, rural development, taxation, and urban local bodies. The officers have been directed to report to the respective Divisional Commissioners in Jammu and Kashmir on April 23 for briefing.
The possibility of the delegation meeting Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and key political leaders, including former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has not been ruled out. The committee is expected to submit a detailed report on its findings to Parliament following the visit.
Meanwhile, a separate Parliamentary Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, led by Chairman Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, recently concluded its tour of Jammu and Kashmir. During its visit, the committee examined the functioning and funding of the three-tier Panchayati Raj system in the Union Territory and was briefed on the delay in holding fresh Panchayat elections following the expiry of their five-year term in January.
The Panchayat elections were deferred after Parliament passed a law introducing reservation for Other Backwards Classes in local bodies. A Commission constituted to determine the extent of reservation submitted its report in February, and the government is yet to announce the poll schedule.
