Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 14: With Government deciding to go ahead with Municipal elections in May after 11 years and Panchayat polls in June-July as soon as the existing Panchayats complete their five years term, the State would be entitled to handsome grant of Rs 5480 crores from the Centre for both urban and rural bodies for the developmental works.
The State has lost Rs 555 crores worth Central assistance only during the past two years due to delay in holding the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) elections as the Government of India didn’t release the funds in the absence of elected Municipalities.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Central Government has gone very strict in terms of funds meant for direct release to elected Municipalities and Panchayats as it wants the States to hold regular elections to them after every five years to take democratic process to the grass root level.
“While the elected Panchayats were in place in Jammu and Kashmir since July 2011, they got the Central funding but the Municipalities were not given the funds by the Centre in the absence of elections, a result of which the State during past two years lost Rs 555 crores worth grants, which could have been utilized by the ULBs for development of cities and towns,” sources said.
Noting that the Municipalities and Panchayats would be entitled to Rs 5480 crores worth Central assistance under the 14th Finance Commission award, sources said any further delay in the elections would cause the State to lose sufficient amount of funding as the Centre has made it clear to all the States that the funds would be released only for the elected bodies and in the absence of (elected urban and rural bodies), the funds of that particular financial year would lapse.
As per the Finance Commission award, Jammu and Kashmir Panchayats were entitled to Rs 3463.73 crores and Municipalities Rs 1305.69 crores worth funds. While the Panchayats mostly got their due during current financial year, the Municipalities lost nearly Rs 555 crores during the last two financial years.
“The Municipalities lost Rs 125 crores during current financial year and Rs 169 crores in the previous fiscal year apart from Rs 261.13 crores worth Performance Grant in 2015-16 totaling Rs 555 crores,” sources said, adding: “had the elected Municipalities been in place, the State would have benefited by such a big amount, which would have been utilized by the election urban bodies for betterment of cities and towns in the State”.
Pointing out that Jammu and Kashmir could lost hefty amount if the Municipal and Panchayat elections were not held this year, sources said the Government seems determined to hold elections to both urban and rural local bodies this year and has already directed the concerned authorities to gear up for the elections.
The Government proposed to hold the Municipal elections in first or second week of May and Panchayat polls in June-July.
There were 78 Municipal bodies in the State including two Corporations (Jammu and Srinagar), six Councils (Kathua, Udhampur and Poonch) in Jammu region, (Sopore, Baramulla and Anantnag) in Kashmir region and 70 Municipal Committees including one each in Leh and Kargil districts.
The elections to Municipal bodies were last held in January 2005 and elected Municipalities had completed their term in March 2010. However, elections were not held to them since then. The Government now proposed to hold elections to the Municipal bodies in first week of May after a gap of more than 11 years.
The Panchayats will complete their five years term on July 14 this year and as per the Panchayat Laws, the new Panchayats must be in place on or before that date. For that the Government has to start election process for Panchayats in early June.
The Election Authority for both Municipal and Panchayat elections, who happens to be Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Shantmanu, has already initiated all steps to complete the process required for holding the elections by March 31 to facilitate one or two phase polls in first or second week of May.
Similarly, the process for Panchayat elections has also been set into motion.
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