Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 10: The Government will be shortly approaching the Union Ministries of Home Affairs and Rural Development Department for continuous flow of grants for Panchayats as elected bodies ceased to exist yesterday while the administration today appointed Administrators for running affairs of the rural bodies for six months or till further orders.
An order issued today by Secretary Rural Development Department Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said the Administrators have been appointed under Section 9 of Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989.
The Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj today issued an order for appointment of Block Development Officers (BDOs) as Administrators for running affairs of the Panchayat Halqas under their jurisdiction for a period of six months with effect from today or till further orders, whichever is earlier.
“The term of Halqa Panchayats has expired on January 9, 2024 and the Government is satisfied that the rural bodies can’t be constituted immediately,” the order read.
The powers enjoyed by the Panchayats would shift to the BDOs till elections to the rural bodies are held again.
According to the officials, the Jammu and Kashmir Government will shortly approach the Union Ministries of Home and Rural Development seeking continuous flow of grants to the Block Development Councils (BDCs) as the bodies completed their five-year term and elections to them couldn’t be held due to grant of reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and delimitation of segments etc.
“There is a provision that if elections to rural bodies are delayed by six months the grants can be released in favour of the Panchayats. The Government is confident that once it approaches the two Ministries the grants will be released,” the officials said, adding the task has to be completed before imposition of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for Lok Sabha elections in first week of March.
They said the flow of Central funds to the Panchayats will ensure that working of the rural bodies especially development works in the areas are not affected due to delay in conduct of elections.
Generally, budget of the Panchayats was approved in the month of March, days ahead of the start of financial year on April 1. However, sometimes, the budget was approved in the month of April.
There were 4291 Panchayats and 310 Block Development Councils (BDCs) whose term ended yesterday.
Five-year term of BDCs was scheduled to end in October 2024 but as per the Rules and Panchayati Raj Act, term of BDCs is co-terminus with the Panchayats and they too ceased to exist along with Panchayats which completed their five-year term yesterday.
The Panchayats and BDCs accounted for nearly 28,000 representatives in Jammu and Kashmir including BDC chairpersons, Sarpanchs and Panchs.
Elections to 77 Municipalities including 40 in Kashmir division and 37 in Jammu region and 4291 Panchayats were due in October-November last year but were delayed due to grant of reservation to OBCs and discrepancies in number of electorates in different Wards of Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Corporations that required delimitation.
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