Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 3: The Government has decided to go for the elections to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) but it might opt for inclusion of some more Municipal Councils/Committees or upgradation of some Committees to Councils in the ULBs before formally writing to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for holding the polls.
The elections were due for past more than five years as the elected ULBs including two Municipal Corporations of Jammu and Srinagar had ceased to exist in March 2010. The previous National Conference-Congress Government didn’t hold elections to the ULBs for nearly five years despite initiating the process several times.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the State Cabinet meeting scheduled for April 6 could discuss the conduct of the ULB elections in the State including the appropriate time, creation of more ULBs in towns and upgradation of some Municipal Committees to the Councils. The Cabinet would discuss the proposal threadbare before taking any decision.
“If the Government decided to go ahead with creation of more ULBs and upgradation of others, the exercise would consume time, leading to delay in the elections as the concerned Deputy Commissioners had to go for delimitation of the Wards of new ULBs,’’ sources said, adding in any case the Government might go for holding the elections during current year.
Presently, there were 82 ULBs including Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). There were 74 Municipal Committees and six Municipal Councils. Poonch, Udhampur and Kathua in Jammu region, Sopore, Baramulla and Anantnag in Kashmir division were the Councils and the rest were Committees.
Sources said the Government has made its intentions very clear that it was going to hold the Municipal elections as early as possible for which it could set the process into motion anytime after the Assembly elections like creation of new Committees, upgradation of Committees to Councils, delimitation and rotation of reserved Wards in the existing ULBs.
It was after about 26 years that the Municipal elections were held in January 2005 under the then Government of PDP-Congress headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The Municipalities were constituted in March 2005 and they completed their five years term in March 2010. However, the then NC-Congress coalition Government didn’t hold the ULB elections and the bodies ceased to exist from March 2010 onwards.
The Government could lose huge sum under 14th Finance Commission awards if the elected ULBs were not in place in the current year, sources said.
At present, Anantnag district topped with 11 Municipalities followed by Jammu and Baramulla with 7 each, Kathua and Budgam 6 each, Rajouri, Kulgam and Pulwama 5 each, Samba 4, Udhampur, Doda, Ramban, Bandipora and Kupwara 3 each, Reasi and Poonch 2 each, Kishtwar, Shopian, Ganderbal, Leh and Kargil one each.
Sources said apart from holding the elections, the Government was also planning to empower the Municipalities including the two Corporations in the twin capital cities of the State by bringing several Departments under their control.
“A proposal to this effect would also be prepared shortly,’’ they added.
The revision of electoral rolls is mandatory before holding the elections to the Urban Local Bodies, sources said, adding the Election Department of the State would undertake such an exercise once the Government writes to it for holding the elections as required under the law.
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