Will keep running affairs of rural bodies
*Budget, other grants to continue to flow
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 12: Term of the Block Development Officers (BDOs) appointed as Administrators to run affairs of the Panchayats in the absence of elected bodies has expired but is being extended for another period of three months as there seems to be no immediate possibility of elections due to delay in submission of report by the OBC Commission.
As all Panchayats completed their term on January 9, 2024 and Block Development Councils (BDCs), whose term was co-terminus with the Panchayats also ceased to exist, the Government designated BDOs as Administrators for the rural bodies to carry on developmental works and other affairs. The term was extended twice thereafter.
“With extended term also expiring and no immediate possibility of Panchayat elections, the Rural Development Department (RDD) has mooted proposal to extend term of BDOs as the Administrators at least for three more months,” official sources told the Excelsior.
The Government is expected to approve the proposal as there is no other option left since elections to the Panchayats are likely to take some more time as the OBC Commission set up by the Government to determine percentage of reservations for the rural bodies is yet to submit its report, they said.
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There are 4291 Panchayats, 314 BDCs and 77 Municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir all of which are without elected representatives. However, 20 District Development Councils (DDCs) are in place whose term will expire in next January.
As far as budget and other grants to the Panchayats is concerned, the sources said, the grants have been provided for current financial year and for next fiscal i.e. 2025-26 there seems no problems in getting budget cleared even if elections to Panchayats are not held by March.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present next financial year’s budget on February 1 in Parliament while J&K’s budget will be presented by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds charge of the Finance Department, in the middle of February as schedule of budget session is yet to be announced.
Submission of report by the OBC Commission is mandatory before initiating the exercise for conducting Panchayat and Municipal elections as it will recommend percentage of seats to be reserved for OBCs in both Urban and Rural Local Bodies. Presently, the women have 33 percent reservations in the two bodies while SCs and STs have been granted reservations based on population.
“Once the Commission submits its report, the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department will undertake an exercise to reserve the Wards for women, SCs, STs and OBCs in Panchayats followed by delimitation, if required,” the officials said.
There have been reports that the Panchayat elections could be held in April subject to submission of report by the Commission.
Because of the reservations to OBCs for the first time in these bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, elections to Panchayats and Municipalities, which were due to be held in October-November 2023, have been delayed.
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