Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 4: In a major bid to empower upcoming Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and empower existing Panchayats by holding elections to Block Development Councils (BDCs) and District Development and Planning Boards (DDPBs), the State Government has decided to study various models prevalent in the country especially that of Maharashtra and Karnataka and implement them here.
“A high level team of Ministers is expected to visit the two States (Maharashtra and Karnataka) and any other State the team deemed fit to study the powers given to Municipalities and Panchayats and models of BDCs and DDPBs shortly,’’ official sources said, adding the visit would take place after budget session of the Legislature is adjourned sine die on April 9.
The Government, according to sources, wanted to put in place the best models of ULBs and empowerment of Panchayats apart from BDCs and DDPBs in the State to decentralize the powers at grass root level and lower burden on the Ministers and the legislators.
The Maharashtra and Karnataka models of Municipalities and Panchayats have been rated as best in the country by the experts in the terms of their powers and functions extended to them by the State Government. However, the models of Tamil Nadu and Kerala could also be studied by the team as they too have been very successful in taking the powers to grass root levels.
Sources said only after the team visits the States, studies the functions and powers of Municipalities and Panchayats that the Government would proceed further in holding the elections.
The Government has already decided to hold the ULB elections after increasing number of the Municipalities and upgrading some others. However, elections to the BDCs, which were announced for November 7, 2012 and were postponed, couldn’t be held since then.
The Omar Abdullah Government had in September 2012 announced elections to the BDCs. The elections were scheduled to be held on November 7. However, on October 15, 2012, the then Government had postponed the elections when the process to hold them was midway following objections raised by veteran Congress leader and former Chief Minister of the State, Ghulam Nabi Azad that the BDC elections should be held after extending benefits of reservations to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. There were a total of 143 BDCs in J&K.
Once the elections were postponed, the Government took no initiative to reserve the BDCs for SC/STs and hold elections to them. The Panchayat elections in the State were held in June-July 2012 and the bodies were constituted in August-September the same year. They will complete their five years term in August-September 2017.
Sources said the BDC elections can be held to strengthen the Panchayati Raj system after the high level team of Ministers submits report on powers the Panchayats, BDCs and DDPBs would enjoy. The DDPB elections, which would be held after the BDCs are constituted, will complete three tier system of Panchayats.
However, the BDCs and DDPBs would hardly get two years tenure as existing Panchayats are due to complete their term in August-September 2017. The next Panchayat elections are due to be held before that. Tenure of DDPBs and BDCs would also come to an end along with the Panchayats as the two bodies are to be elected by the Panchayat members.
As reported, the Government could lose handsome financial aid if the ULBs and second and third tier of Panchayats were not put in place as the Government of India and the 14th Finance
Commission have linked some grants to elections of these bodies. The elections to ULBs were pending for past more than five years as the Municipalities had completed their term in March 2010.
Follow our WhatsApp channel