Moscow: Faced with intense public pressure, Russian President Vladimir Putin today (Sep 10, 2004) agreed for an independent Parliamentary probe into the Beslan school carnage that left hundreds of people, including children, dead.

Putin, who had insisted on an "in-house" probe by the security agencies, agreed to provide a special commission of the Federation Council (Upper House) blanket access to sensitive materials.

During his meeting with Putin, the Upper House Chairman Sergei Mironov informed him about the plans to summon an emergency session of the House on September 20 to debate on the bills further tightening anti-terror efforts and constitute a special house commission to probe into how the Beslan school raid by terrorists could ever take place and in bloodbath of so many children.

"We all are interested in establishing the truth, I will direct the agencies and the Prosecutor General Ustinov to provide all the necessary documents and information to the commission," Putin said at his televised meeting with Mironov.

At his Monday's meeting with a select group of Western journalists and academics, Putin, while ruling out a public investigation, had said that he was not averse to the idea of a Parliamentary probe as long as it does not turn into what he called "a political show."

Meanwhile, prominent Russian experts informally advising Putin have strongly advocated the upgradation of Parliament in the country, which under the constitution adopted during Boris Yeltsin's rule, has finally become a rubberstamp for the Kremlin.