MHA considers new J&K panel to steer development

NEWDELHI: The Jammu and Kashmir division of the Union home ministry is considering a creating a high-level empowered committee headed by home minister Amit Shah and comprising representatives from all other critical ministries such as road transport, women and child development and rural development to prioritise and decide on schemes that will be implemented there on a war footing, a senior official said requesting anonymity.

“The idea is to make a positive impact in the lives of ordinary people at the shortest possible time,” the official added.

The move comes more than a month after the Centre stripped J&K of its special status by revoking Article 370, and divided it into two Union Territories – J&K and Ladakh.

A one-point decision-making platform will address “needs of people” in a much more cohesive and cogent manner, according to home ministry officials. Schemes of the ministry have already been fast-tracked in J&K. For instance, the MHA has cleared ₹700 crore to J&K and the raising of two additional battalions for the J&K police. The ministry has also given a push to various Border Area Development schemes. “An overarching committee will allow a more focused approach,” the official cited above said.

In a related development on Wednesday, senior officials of the Jammu and Kashmir administration—chief sec reta ryBVR Subrahmanyam and principal secretary Rohit Kansal — and the MHA officials discussed the implementation of the J&K Re-organisation Act, 2019, aimed at splitting the state into two UTs. The meeting lasted for about two hours. This was the second consecutive meeting in as many days among the top officials. On Monday, Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla chaired the meeting.As per the Act, the two UTs will be created on October 31.

A ONE-POINT DECISIONMAKING PLATFORM WILL ADDRESS NEEDS OF PEOPLE IN A MUCH MORE COGENT MANNER, OFFICIALS SAID