Mohali, January 27: The standing committee of the Parliamentary panel on Home affairs is visiting Punjab for two days beginning February 11 to understand the problems being confronted by the people in the border areas in the state.
This was stated here today by Anandpur Sahib MP Prem Singh Chandumanjra who himself is a member of this committee.
He said this committee would also be taken to Dera Baba Nanak in connection was the demand for the need for corridor to historic gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib across the border where Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the Sikh faith, spent his last days.
The panel headed by Rajya Sabha member P Bhattacharaya would meet the chief secretary and the state police chief besides other senior officers at Amritsar on February 11 morning. The members of the committee would later visit border areas in Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts. This would be followed by visit to the Attari border the next day. The committee members would meet people residing in the border belt.
Chandumajra said he would apprise the committee about the problems being faced by the farmers whose lands are across the fence including their harassment by the security forces, smuggling from across the border and pitiable condition of link roads.
He said during visit to Dera Baba Nanak area, the committee would study the issue of exchanging land with Pakistan to provide direct access to Kartarpur Sahib shrine.
He said the centre had decided to send the committee as he had repeatedly raised the issue of problems being faced by the people in the border areas in the Lok Sabha, besides several letters written by the state government to the centre on this issue.
He said this 31-member committee also includes Rajya Sabha member Ashwani Kumar and Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher.