The government has constituted two special task forces for Jammu and Ladakh regions to examine the allocations in terms of infrastructure needs and make suitable recommendations to overcome the deficiencies.

While Abhijit Sen, a Planning Commission member, will be leading a task force on Jammu, Narendra Jadhav, another Planning Commission member, will be the chairperson of the team on Ladakh, an official notification said today.

It said the two task forces have been constituted keeping in view the immediate objectives to maintain peace and order and defuse the situation through confidence building measures.

The decision on forming of three task forces was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on September 25.

The terms and references of the two task forces would be to identify the special development needs of the region and suggest measures to address them and to examine allocations to the regions in terms of infrastructure needs. They will make suitable recommendations to overcome the deficiencies.

The task forces have been given three months to submit their reports.

Besides Sen, the other members for Jammu task force are joint secretary, (Plan Finance-I), ministry of finance, department of expenditure, divisional commissioner (Jammu), Dr Najeeb Jung, vice chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia University and Dr Amaresh Dubey, professor of economics, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, JNU. Joint secretary (Kashmir), ministry of home affairs will be the Convenor.

Besides Jhadav, the task force on Ladakh will comprise joint secretary, (Plan Finance-II), ministry of finance, department of expenditure, divisional commissioner, Kashmir, Prof Akhtar Majeed, director, Centre for Federal Studies and dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Hamdard University, Dr Navnita Chadha Behera, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi as members and director (Kashmir), ministry of home affairs as Convener.

The task forces may co-opt officers of the state government and such other officers of the central and state governments as and when necessary. They include commissioner and secretary to state government, principal secretary, planning, development and Ladakh affairs and principal secretary to the chief minister.

The notification said the task forces shall be provided with all possible assistance by ministries and departments and other agencies under the central and state governments to facilitate its task.

The chairperson and members shall be treated as state guests during their period of stay and work in the state.

The non-official members shall be entitled to sitting fees in addition. Travel and transportation facilities shall be as admissible to the highest grade of government employees.