Srinagar: In a notable development, a parliamentary standing committee is set to visit the Kashmir Valley in the first week of July, marking the first such tour since the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that claimed 26 civilian lives, mostly tourists.
The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Coal, Mines, and Steel, chaired by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, will visit Srinagar as part of a broader study tour that also includes stops in Mumbai and Coorg.
To facilitate the visit, the Jammu and Kashmir government has appointed S.P. Rukwal, Director of Geology and Mining, as the nodal officer. As per an official order, Rukwal will be responsible for handling all logistical, administrative, and protocol arrangements related to the visit.
Additionally, two officers from the Mining Department will coordinate with the Lok Sabha Secretariat to ensure the smooth execution of the tour, the order stated.
The upcoming visit is significant as it will be the first by a parliamentary panel following the April 22 terror attack in Baisaran, which prompted several other committees to cancel their travel plans to Jammu and Kashmir. These included the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, the Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs, and the Joint Parliamentary Committee on “One Nation, One Election.” (KNO)
