Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 19: Gearing up for Municipal and Panchayat elections, the Government today constituted a State level Committee and two divisional level committees to draw roadmap and detailed schedule for conduction of elections to the two bodies in the State and submit detailed report by August 10, 2018.
The State level Committee will be headed by Home Secretary RK Goyal while the divisional level committees of Jammu and Kashmir divisions will be headed by the concerned Divisional Commissioners.
An official order issued today by the General Administration Department said the State level Committee has been mandated to draw a roadmap and detailed schedule for conduct of elections to Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats across the State on the basis of inputs from the divisional level committees.
“The State level committee will make an assessment of the ground level situation taking into consideration, security, logistical, personnel, equipment and all other requirements,’’ the Government order said.
The divisional level committees will submit an outline of the possibilities and constraints to the State level committee based on an assessment of manpower, security, logistical, transport, equipments and all other requirements. These reports will be submitted by July 27.
“The State level committee will submit its report to the Government by August 10,’’ the GAD order said, adding that the committees will be served by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Housing and Urban Development Department in respect of elections to Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies respectively.
Within few days of the Governor rule, the State Administrative Council (SAC) headed by Governor NN Vohra had announced holding of much awaited elections to Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats and directed the concerned Departments to start preparations for them.
The Government was mulling holding of Municipal elections first to test the water as the Municipalities are confined to urban areas only. If everything went well during the Urban Local Bodies’ polls, the Government could also go for the Panchayat elections.
The Municipal elections were last held in Jammu and Kashmir in January-February 2005 and the elected Municipalities had completed their term in March 2010. Similarly, elections to Panchayats were last held in April-May 2011 and the elected Panchayats completed their term in July 2016.
There were no elected Municipalities in the State for last over eight years and Panchayats for the past two years.
Even Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh had directed the previous PDP-BJP Government headed by Mehbooba Mufti to hold elections to the Panchayats. Governor NN Vohra had also asked the previous Government in December last year to go for elections to Panchayats and Municipalities.
Mehbooba had then announced that elections to the Panchayats would be held in February followed by the Municipal polls. However, after holding an All Party Meeting in February, the then Government had shelved the process of Panchayat elections.
According to an order issued by the General Administration Department, for the State Level Committee, Principal Secretary, Home Department would be the Chairman, while as Director General of Police, Principal Secretary Transport Department, Additional Director General of Police (CID), Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir/ Jammu would work as its members.
Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj would be Member Secretary, while as representative of the Housing and Urban Development Department would serve as the member of the committee.
The order further stated that in the Divisional Level Committee for Kashmir Division, the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir would serve as Chairman, while as Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, and Director Rural Development, Kashmir would be members. Director Urban Local Bodies Kashmir has been made Member Secretary of the committee.
Likewise, for Jammu Division, Divisional Commissioner Jammu has been made Chairman, while as Inspector General of Police, Jammu, and Director Rural Development, Jammu would work as members. Director Urban Local Bodies Jammu will work as Member Secretary.
Both in Kashmir and Jammu divisions, the Committee would have the discretion to co-opt any other member.
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