Parliamentary panel begins 4-day visit to J-K, holds deliberations with representatives of grassroots institutions

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs began four-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

The Committee held interactive sessions, deliberations with the representatives of grassroots institutions including business and trade heads.

This visit by the officials comes almost two months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the top leaders of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The Committee will also review the working conditions of three Central Armed Police Forces namely, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Border Security Force (BSF)," sources added.

PM Modi had on June 24 held the first high-level interaction between the Centre and political leadership mainly from Kashmir after August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two union territories.

Among the 14 leaders who participated in the meeting were Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad, Tara Chand, and GA Mir; National Conference's Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah; PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, J-K Apni Party's Altaf Bukhari. The issue of restoration of statehood was also raised by several participants in the meeting.

( With inputs from ANI )