Panel to oversee preparations for G20 meeting in Jammu & Kashmir

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday constituted a 16-member committee to oversee the preparations for a G20 meeting in the union territory next year.

Financial Commissioner (Additional chief secretary), home department, Raj Kumar Goyal was nominated as the chairman of the panel, which also included Director General of Police Dilbag Singh as one of the members, according to an order issued by Secretary, General Administration Department, Piyush Singla.

Ten Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, three Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, two Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers and one J-K Administrative Service (JKAS) officer were included in the committee, which was constituted in view of the visit of officials from G20 participating countries to the union territory.

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha had said the planned G20 meeting in Srinagar will be held in a secured and peaceful atmosphere and showcase Jammu and Kashmir in a right perspective.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration had also requested a similar event for Jammu. The other members of the committee include Special Director General of Police, criminal investigation department, Rashmi Ranjan Swain, principal secretaries of Jal Shakti department Shaleen Kabra, Housing and Urban Development Department Dheeraj Gupta, Industries and Commerce Prashant Goyal, Public Works Department Shailendra Kumar, Power Development Department H Rajesh Prasad and Higher Education Department Alok Kumar.

Additional Director General of Police (Security) Shiv Darshan Singh Jamwal, Commissioner Secretary of department of forest, ecology and environment Sanjeev Verma, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir P K Pole, administrative Secretary, tourism department Sarmad Hafeez, administrative secretary, culture department, Zubair Ahmad, Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation Athur Aamir Ul Shafi and vice chairman J-K Lake Conservation and management authority, Bashir Ahmad Bhat were the other members of the committee.

India is expected to host over 200 G20 meetings during its yearlong Presidency of the influential group which will culminate with an annual summit on September 9 and 10 next year.

The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world's major developed and developing economies.

It comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union (EU).