JOIN USThe government on Wednesday denied reports that it has formed a Group of Ministers (GoM) under Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to look into the development, economic and social issues in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Ladakh after the two union territories, come into existence on October 31.
Reports have said the government has formed the panel under Prasad with Union Ministers Thawar Chand Gehlot, Narendra Singh Tomar, and Jitendra Singh as it members and the first meeting of the panel would take place next week.
However, a government spokesperson said, "reports about government setting up a GoM on issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir is not correct, and as such, denied."
On Tuesday, top Secretaries of central ministries met in the national capital on how to take forward the development process in the two union territories after it comes into existence.
One of the prominent talking points in the Secretaries' meeting was the division of assets and manpower of Jammu and Kashmir between the two union territories.
Joint Secretaries in some of the ministries are visiting Jammu and Kashmir later this month to evaluate the ground situation on implementing the schemes.
The central officials will also be assisting the Jammu and Kashmir administration in implementing 85 central schemes extended to the state. The Jammu and Kashmir administration has already set up three committees to work on the bifurcation of the state.
A few central officials' teams have already done their survey of the state.