SRINAGAR: In a significant development, Jammu Kashmir has been witnessing frequent visits by parliamentary panels as part of their study tours.
Details available reveal that four Department-related—Standing Committees have visited Kashmir Valley to discuss various issues at both the national level and those specific to JK in the past 50 days.
The Department-related Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, led by MP Digvijaya Singh, visited Jammu & Kashmir immediately after the Budget Session. The committee undertook a two-day study tour to review educational reforms, youth engagement, and welfare initiatives in the Valley.
In the first week of May, the Department-related Standing Committee on Finance, headed by MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, visited Jammu Kashmir to review key areas including financial literacy, digitalisation, GST reforms, pension regulation, MSME growth, insurance coverage, and grievance redressal.
Soon after, the Department-related Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs, chaired by Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, visited the Union Territory and assessed the progress of Smart City and other urban projects.
The Department-related Standing Committee on Home Affairs, headed by BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Aggarwal, visited Jammu Kashmir from May 10 to May 15, to discuss several issues.
The Department-related Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment is also visiting Jammu Kashmir as part of their study tour.
According to observers, these visits are significant as they enable MPs to gain firsthand information about the problems faced by Jammu Kashmir, on the development and economic front.
They said these visits are also important from the perspective of tourism in Kashmir. (KNO)
