Govt announces elections to 13,161 Panchayat seats

RDD writes to CEO, schedule in few days

Polls to start in March from plain areas

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 11: The Union Territory Government today announced election to 13,161 vacancies in Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir, the schedule for which will be shortly announced by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) taking into consideration the weather conditions and security scenario amid indications that the elections would start in the month of March.
The Rural Development Department today formally sent a communication to CEO J&K Shailendra Kumar for conducting elections to vacancies in the Panchayats.
Confirming the communication, Secretary Rural Development Department Sheetal Nanda told the Excelsior that the Department has written to the office of CEO J&K to conduct elections to vacancies of Sarpanchs and Panchs in the Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We have sent the communication. The CEO office now has to announce schedule of the elections,’’ Nanda said.
CEO J&K Shailendra Kumar, who has been designated as the Election Authority for conduct of Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies elections in Jammu and Kashmir, told the Excelsior that the process for elections will be set into motion taking various factors into account including weather conditions.
“We will begin with plain areas where weather will be fine shortly and take snow bound areas next,’’ Kumar said, adding the schedule will be finalized shortly.
Security is another factor which will also be taken into account while finalizing the election schedule, sources said.
The Rural Development Department issued the notification under Rule 7 of Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rules 1996 announcing elections to vacant Panchayat Halqas of Sarpanchs and Panchs on the dates to be fixed by the Election Authority.
There are 13,161 vacancies in Panchayats across the Union Territory, sources pointed out.
Elections to third tier of Panchayati Raj System i.e. the District Planning and Development Boards (DPDBs) will be held only after vacancies of Panchayats are filled up in the by-elections.
“We have identified a total of 13,161 vacancies in Panchayats including 1067 Sarpanchs and 12094 Panchs in all 20 districts of the Union Territory-10 each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions. Majority of vacancies were in Kashmir division,” sources said.
They added that the elections might be held in four to five phases and could start in the month of March.
“The Election Authority might begin the poll process from plain areas in March and hold elections in higher reaches in last couple of phases in April taking into account the winter weather conditions,” sources pointed out.
The Union Home Ministry is understood to have asked the Union Territory Government to keep additional para-military forces in Jammu and Kashmir till completion of elections as majority of vacancies in the Valley fall in sensitive and militancy-infested South Kashmir, where elections couldn’t be held in November-December 2018 along with other Sarpanch and Panch seats in the absence of contestants.
However, following elections to the Block Development Councils (BDCs) in which 280 Chairpersons from amongst the Sarpanchs and Panchs were elected, the seats of those elected to the BDCs have also fallen vacant and elections to them will be held along with other vacancies.
Giving figures, sources said, there were 12696 total vacancies in the Panchayats in Kashmir division including 922 Sarpanch seats and 11774 Panch constituencies as against just 465 vacancies in Jammu including 145 Sarpanchs and 320 Panchs.
In Kashmir division, maximum number of vacancies were in Baramulla district (2310) followed by South Kashmir’s Anantnag district (2130), Budgam (2097), Pulwama (1588) and Kulgam (1353).
Vacancies in other Valley districts included 712 in Bandipora, 731 in Ganderbal, 796 in Kupwara, 815 in Shopian and 164 in Srinagar.
Compared to Kashmir, vacancies were negligible in Jammu division with highest 118 in Kishtwar district followed by 55 in Jammu, 47 in Ramban, 45 in Kathua, 42 in Doda, 41 in Rajouri, 38 in Poonch, 32 in Udhampur, 25 in Samba and 22 in Reasi district.
According to sources, the Government proposed to hold elections to the District Planning and Development Board (DPDBs) only after all vacancies in the Panchayats are filled. The DPDBs will complete three-tier Panchayati Raj System for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier during the elected Governments, there used to be the District Development Boards (DDBs), which were headed by the Chief Minister and the Cabinet Ministers.

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