JAMMU, Oct 14: On October 26, a high-level review of the progress being made and the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to be held in New Delhi by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. According to officials, the conference will be attended by senior members of the civil and police administrations. They claimed that the conference will likely cover the development projects funded by centrally sponsored schemes, the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP), rehabilitation programmes for migrants from Kashmir, work being done in the UT sector, and the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.The Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporations, Jammu and Kashmir Municipalities and Panchayati Raj Act must be amended in order to implement the proposed reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Municipalities and Panchayats, a proposal for which has already been mooted. Senior authorities from the UT’s civil and police administrations, as well as the MHA’s Incharge for Jammu and Kashmir and paramilitary officials, will attend the meeting.Before their anticipated trips to Jammu and Kashmir in November to January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari are scheduled to meet. The officials added that since the Union Home Ministry has a significant influence over the budgets of Union Territories, “some budgetary proposals of Jammu and Kashmir for next Financial Year of 2024–25 are also likely to be discussed at the meeting.” They also noted that the Finance Department is currently holding department-specific meetings to determine their needs.According to them, the conference would also include a high-level review of the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the winter strategy for anti-militancy operations in the interior and reducing border infiltration efforts. “The militants typically seek refuge in the plains throughout the winter because the highlands frequently see snowfall. The officials added that Pakistan also tries to aid and abet infiltration attempts before winters since the majority of the passes are closed during snowfall. “And, this is the opportune time to locate and kill them,” the officials said.On the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, infiltration has been well contained, despite reports of some attempts in the districts of Rajouri and Poonch, the most of which were thwarted. However, it hasn’t been ruled out that there might be some successful attempts in the twin border districts. The completion of the procedures for OBCs receiving reservations in municipalities and panchayats, according to the officials, may also be discussed during the meeting. To provide OBCs a reservation in both bodies, the J&K government halted the elections for municipalities and panchayats.In Jammu and Kashmir’s Panchayats and Municipalities, women currently have a 33% reservation. Additionally, based on their numbers, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are granted reservations in the two organisations.
