Jammu, Feb 28: A high-level team of top officers of the Home Ministry on Tuesday reached Jammu and Kashmir for a three-day visit to review security situation and developmental works amid clamour for troop-cut from the UT.
Official sources said that a team headed by Prashant Lokhande, Joint Secretary (Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh), Union Ministry of Home Affairs and other senior officers reached here this afternoon and will return on March 2.
On the first day the team called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and held a detailed meeting regarding the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The team also reviewed the progress on the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) and issues pertaining to Kashmiri Pandit migrants, Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK), West Pakistani refugees and displaced persons (DPs). However, a detailed security situation is to be reviewed with stakeholders including army, police and other para military forces scheduled on March 1.
Sources said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah deputed the officers for assessing the situation, as Union Territory is heading for scheduled local bodies and Panchayat Elections by end of this year.
The team also reviewed the progress on various centrally sponsored schemes. Issues of migrants and other refugees were also part of discussion.
The meeting among others will be attended by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) RK Goyal and Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh among others.
Recently, a high-level meeting was also held by the Union Home Ministry in New Delhi to discuss phased replacement of Army from some districts of Jammu and Kashmir and its replacement with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). However, this issue is unlikely to figure in the meeting of the Home Ministry’s team with the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
The Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes will also be reviewed at a high-level meeting of the Home Ministry team with top officials of Jammu and Kashmir administration, sources said.
A number of projects are under execution under PMDP in Jammu and Kashmir besides various works are going on under different Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
The works are progressing smoothly, they added.
The Home Ministry team will return to New Delhi on March 2 and submit a detailed report to the Union Home Minister, sources said.