ULB elections

The practice is that urban areas are generally managed by Urban Local Bodies (ULB) also called Municipal Committees, Councils and Corporations. This is a universally accepted practice in all democratic arrangements. But these are all elected bodies and hold a fixed tenure after which fresh elections take place. Last election to J&K ULBs was held in the year 2005 which had to be renewed in 2010 when its tenure ended. But no elections to these bodies were held thereafter. Why fresh elections were not held is not what is of any consequence now. The matter in hand is that the Union Government usually makes grant allocations to the ULBs on the basis of 90 per cent for population and 10 per cent for the region. As far as the population is concerned, the latest census (2011) forms the basis. The condition is that no grants will be given if there are no elections. The hefty grants allocated by the 14th Finance Commission is a temptation for the J&K Government to begin the elections process for ULBs and then approach the Union Government for release of grants which are normally released in two installments in June and September each year. 14th Finance Commission has recommended award of Rs 4769.37 crore to the Jammu and Kashmir for the local self Government for a period of five years from 2015-16 financial year beginning from April 1, 2015.
It has to be noted that if the State Government proceeds with the matter of initiating elections to the ULBs, evidently another issue will come up. During past 10 years, population has increased in cities and towns and villages and this is reflected in the Census Report of 2011. Increased population is likely to ask for creation of new wards which will have to be given proper representation. That is a constitutional provision and has to be fulfilled. Naturally carving out of new wards on the basis of population will have impact on delimitation of constituencies for Assembly elections.  May be that this does not go in the interests of some political activists, who would support scuttling of elections to the ULBs as has been done previously.
The present Government has given indications that it is not interested in deferring elections to ULBs anymore. If that is the case, then it has to prepare for elections to the ULBs as funds have been earmarked by the 14th Finance Commission. Of the total award, an amount of Rs 3463.73 crore has been recommended for Rural Local Bodies (Panchayats) and Rs 1305.64 crore for the Urban Local Bodies (Municipal Corporations, Councils and Committees). Elected Panchayats are already in place and elections to Urban Local Bodies have to be held. Apart from the basic requirement of elected bodies, there are other stipulations in the guidelines which need to be fulfilled to make the State eligible for receiving the grants. For example, the duly elected Urban Local Bodies will have to conduct survey and publish service level bench marks for basic service. 14th Finance Commission has categorically stated that the local bodies shall spend grants only on assigned basic services. The weight-age for distribution of grants for local bodies has already been set at 90:10.
Urban Local Bodies in essence are reflective of what is known as local self rule on a mini scale. However in big cities where corporations function, some major works of development are also taken up. In smaller towns and cities, maintenance of civic amenities, city transport, roads, culverts, bridges, sanitation, ecology, parks, playgrounds, libraries, reading rooms and so many other areas are taken care of. The members know their respective wards very well and raise the issues in the meetings of the Urban Local Bodies. We are sorry to say that the State has lost hefty amount which would have come by way of grants from the 13th Finance Commission if elections to the ULBs had been held. Only a part of that was obtained when elections to Panchayats were held and the rest of it lapsed. It should not happen this time. It is also important to note that physical condition of roads, drains, sanitation and other requirements of the city of Jammu has deteriorated beyond imagination. This is also the condition of Srinagar city. When elections were not held, how could funds flow and how could civic amenities be improved.

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