FEROZEPUR, Apr 6:
The Border Security Force (BSF) today recovered 8 kg heroin, worth Rs 40 crore in the international market, in Ferozepur sector of the Indo-Pakistan border today.
Officiating BSF DIG Madal Lal said following a tip-off, the 143 Battalion of BSF conducted a search in Basti Ram Lal Border Outpost and found eight packets of heroin of 1 kg each near pillar number 178/3.
He said the contraband was thrown by Pakistani smugglers from across the border to be picked up by their contacts in India. However, the BSF jawans thwarted their attempts by intercepting the  consignment. (UNI)

NEW DELHI, Apr 6:
Bullion traders and jewellers today called off their 21-day nationwide strike after meeting UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee who assured them that their demand for rollback of excise duty on unbranded jewellery would be considered.
“We have notified all our members to call off the agitation with immediate effect,” Dinesh Jain, Director of Governing Board, All-India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation, told.
Most of the jewellery shops would open from tomorrow, today being holiday on account of Good Friday.
Traders are estimated to have lost Rs 20,000 crore due to the strike which began on March 17 after presentation of the Budget on the previous day.
Jewellers, however, threatened that strike would resume again if the proposal to levy excise duty of one per cent is not withdrawn in the Finance Bill, which is expected to come up before Parliament early next month.
“The strike has been suspended till May 11, as the Finance Minister has assured us on a decision on rollback on excise duty and customs duty by first week of May,” Jain said.
Delhi-based All India Sarafa Association general secretary Surendra Jain also said that their members have also agreed to suspend the strike.
Some of traders who met Mukherjee, said the Finance Minister has assured them that their grievances with regard to levy of 1 per cent excise duty on unbranded jewellery would be addressed.
Before traders met Gandhi, Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said the party has asked the Government to consider jewellers’ demand sympathetically.
Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) Chairman S K Goel said that Mukherjee has assured traders that he would address their concerns at the time of consideration of the Finance Bill 2012 in Parliament and “associations have agreed to withdraw the strike”.
“We will decide on calling off strike… Industry lost nearly Rs 20,000 crore due to this strike and the Government lost nearly Rs 1,200 crore (in revenue),”  All-India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation chairman Bachhraj Bamalwa said after meeting with the Finance Minister.
Meanwhile, Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) Chairman Rajiv Jain welcomed the assurance given by the Finance Minister and appealed to all jewellers in the country to resume their day to day business operations as early as possible
“The Finance Minister also assured that the import duty imbalance for jewellery imported under Free Trade Agreement from Thailand and other issues faced by the gems and jewellery exporters due to recent announcements in the budget will be looked into,” the GJEPC said in a statement.
On March 16, a day before jewellers began their strike, gold prices in the national capital were ruling at Rs 28,140 per ten grams. In Mumbai, gold rates stood Rs 27,760 per ten grams.
India, the world’s largest gold consumer, imported 967 tonnes of precious metal in 2011. Gold is the second biggest commodity imported after crude oil. (PTI)

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 6: At least 20 people including 6 policemen were injured in clashes that broke out in Baramulla town this afternoon after protesters pelted stones on police station Baramulla.
The protests broke out after the chairman of the hardline faction of Huriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, addressed a gathering in the Main Chowk of the town.
Some of the people from the gathering attacked the police station Baramulla with stones resulting in the ding dog battles between police and the stone pelting protesters.
Around 6 police men were injured in the stone pelting while police resorted to baton charging and tear-smoke shelling at the protesters. At least 14 protesters were injured as police chased them in the township.
The ding dong battles between police and stone throwing protesters created panic in the township. The shopkeepers closed their shops and ran for safety and traffic went off the roads due to the trouble in the town.
The protests and clashes spread to other areas of the town like Tehsil point, Tanga Adda, Khawaja Bagh Adda, Cement Bridge, Bata Gali and Kiraya Park.
Reports said that security forces barged into several houses in the township and beat up people and broke window panes of the residential houses in retaliation.
However, a police spokesman said that some miscreants turned violent and resorted to stone pelting on police station Baramulla after Geelani addressed a gathering at Main Chowk, Baramulla.
“Today after SAS Geelani addressed a gathering at Main Chowk Baramulla a constituent of the gathering indulged in stone pelting on Police Station, Baramulla. However, police exercised maximum restraint and the stone pelters dispersed from the place,” said the police spokesman.
He said that such incidents of violence after the address of Geelani took place at many places during last year.
Meanwhile, in his speech, Geelani said that Pakistan government should not back out from its support to the Kashmiris during the ‘ongoing movement’. He said the only solution to Kashmir lies in implementation of United Nations resolutions adding that any other solution or formula is unacceptable to the people of Kashmir.
Geelani asked people to observe complete strike on Saturday (April 7) against the two year sentence awarded to former chairman of Kashmir American Council (KAC), Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai.

NEW DELHI, Apr 6:
A young engineer was strangled allegedly by his three friends in west Delhi for getting hold of the money the victim’s father got in a land deal, police said today.
Johny Gupta (23), who works as a site engineer with a private company, was murdered on April three night hours after his close friend Anoop (25) allegedly took him to a godown in Kamruddin Nagar in west Delhi’s Nihal Vihar, they said.
Anup, a marketing executive, and his friends Anil (26), a tempo driver, and Avinash (36), the godown owner, were arrested, R S Krishnaiah, Joint Commissioner of Police, said.
According to police, the murder took place at around 9 pm on April three and the family received a ransom call of Rs one crore later. Police claimed they received the information about the victim being missing around 11:30 pm that night
“The deceased’s father had received some money on a land deal. Anoop, the mastermind, and his friends wanted to get hold of that money and they executed the murder,” Krishnaiah claimed.
Giving the sequence of events, he said, Gupta, who holds a diploma in civil engineering was last seen at Keshavpuram on April three 6:30 pm with one of his friend Ashok.
Checking of Gupta’s call records showed that after that he had received a call from Anoop and that the ransom call was made from the deceased’s phone.
Anoop was questioned the next day but he “initially tried to mislead” investigators but later broke down and confessed to the crime, Krishnaiah said.
“Anoop had asked Gupta to come near Punjabi Bagh fly over on the fateful day. Gupta was made to park his motorcycle at Peeragarhi metro station from where both went to the godown owned by Avinash on Anoop’s motorcycle,” he said. (PTI)

By Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 6: Putting the Irrigation and Flood Control and Education Departments in the dock over blocking of nearly Rs 11 crore, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has detected that these departments were only concerned over registering expenditure of huge amounts on the projects instead of obtaining necessary clearances, which were pre-requisite as per the laid down guidelines.
The report said that in order to create irrigation potential of 3,500 acres for hitherto uncultivable land and to overcome drought like situation, the Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Jammu, in July 2007, awarded contract for three water storage schemes (construction of RCC check dams) on Yakh nullah, river Basanter and river Devak under hundred per cent Government of India sponsored scheme—Border Area Development Programme to M/s UAN Raju Construction Ltd, Vishakhapatnam, for completion in eight months.
As per the directions of the Government of India issued in November 2006, the design and drawings of all the check dams were to be approved by the Central Water Commission (CWC) before their implementation.
However, during scrutiny of the records of the Chief Engineer it came to fore that despite spending Rs 8.67 crore, the schemes had not been completed as on March 2011.
“Despite the fact that contractor had either not taken up the works at all or the pace of work, wherever taken up, had been tardy, the Department had all along (2005 to 2011) booked expenditure on procurement of material on all three works”, the report said.
“The department had, in addition, paid interest free mobilization advance to the contractor, which apart from being prohibited resulted in extension of undue benefit to the contractor”, the report said, adding out of the payment of mobilization advance of Rs 83.91 lakh, Rs 5.39 lakh only had been recovered from the executed portion of the works and the balance Rs 78.52 lakh continued to be retained by the contractor for the last four years.
The department was either evasive or didn’t reply at all to the audit queries regarding allotment of works without ensuring vetting of designs by the Central Water Commission, booking of huge amounts on material against the works, which had either been taken up partially or not taken up at all, payment of mobilization advance and subsequent failure to ensure start/ re-start of works by the contractor, the report said, adding “no cogent reasons for delay in completion, despite huge spending, were furnished”.
The Department failed to adhere to the instructions of the Government of India in getting the designs of the projects vetted from the CWC before execution and subsequently failed to ensure execution of works, it said, adding “this resulted in blocking of Rs 8.67 crore and defeated the intended purpose”.
“The matter was referred to the Government/ department in August 2011. However, in response the Chief Engineer while confirming the status of the project as pointed out by audit, didn’t furnish any reasons for delays in completion of the project”, the CAG observed.
About the Education Department, the report said that in July 2003 the Government of India approved up-gradation of the State Institute of Education, Jammu to the level of Institute of Educational Management and Training (SIEMAT) subject to the furnishing of a proposal by the State Government and also taking over of the project once its central funding was over. A provision of Rs three crore was kept for the project in the Xth Plan under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
The scrutiny of the records of the State Project Director, Ujalla Society, J&K (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) in February 2011 revealed that the State Government proposal forwarded to the Government of India in July 2005 was returned for modification in the light of certain observations made by the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA).
“In anticipation of clearance of the project by the State Government, the Society received Rs 2.10 crore from the Government of India for implementation of the project out of which the Society released Rs 60 lakh in favour of SIE, Jammu, which was lying un-utilized as of February 2011”, the report said, adding “the balance Rs 1.50 crore had been diverted by the Society without approval of the grant sanctioning authority for other spillover works not covered under the programme”.
The CAG said that Society had not maintained project-wise details of the funds received by it and the funds for all the projects were amalgamated and consolidated Utilization Certificates were submitted annually to the grant sanctioning authority without giving project-wise details of receipts/ expenditure figures.
Though in February 2011, the Project Director stated that the project had not been cleared by the State Government and every effort was being made to finalize it yet the CAG found the reply as non tenable. “The Society should not have released or utilized the funds for activities not covered under the programme without clearance of the project by the State Government”, the report said.
The CAG also observed that lack of monitoring of the approved projects by the Government, non-existent internal controls in the Society coupled with inaction of the Government in finalizing the project resulted in blocking of Rs 60 lakh for the period ranging between 36 and 46 months and diversion of Rs 1.50 crore.

SRINAGAR, Apr 6: Terming PDP non co-operative over revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), National Conference (NC) senior leader and Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar today said that Omar Abdullah led Coalition Government is committed to revoke AFSPA.
Addressing party workers at Nawaz Subha, the National Conference senior leader said that more security bunkers would be removed from Srinagar city for easy movement of common people.
He said that National Conference led coalition Government will take all the stake holders including security agencies into confidence over revocation of AFSPA.
“Chief Minister is personally keen to revoke AFSPA as early as possible, as the security situation has drastically improved. We are in touch with the Central Government and we are hopeful both the Centre Government and State Government will take a final call over revocation of AFSPA ,” he said.
Mr Sagar  said that PDP is playing a negative role over revocation of AFSPA. “In Delhi, they oppose the sincere move of Omar Abdullah to revoke AFSPA. In Kashmir they are giving an impression to people that they are advocating revocation of AFSPA. We several times advised all the parties particular PDP not to do politics over AFSPA, but they are trying to politicize the issue,” he said.
He said that Mehbooba Mufti and Muzzafar Hussain Beig are involved in worse kind blame game. He said they raised those issues in the assembly, which has no logic and sense. ” They were intending to weaken the coalition, but the sincere and transparent system of Omar Abdullah foiled all their attempts,” he said.
“The many more bunkers would be removed from the Srinagar as the security situation has drastically changed. More than 13  lakh tourists  visited the State last year and in the few months only more than two lakh have arrived and the number is expected to increase in coming days,’. he said
He also said that Omar Abdullah has favoured that all the traditional routes should be reopened with Pakistan so that easy access would be available to the traders and common people of both the countries.
The Rural Development Minister also said that Omar Abdullah has also directed the security agencies that passport should be given to all those who have no link with the militancy. He also said that common people must not suffer while they apply for the passport.
He further said that State Government is committed to  the safe return of the youth who had crossed over to Pakistan. He said that process is going on and state government is intending for their return so that they can live normal life with their families.
National conference provincial president Ali Mohammad Dar said that negative propaganda of PDP against the NC has been defeated by people as the Omar Abdullah led Government is becoming more popular on the ground.

From Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Apr 6:  Army today said that killing of 5 Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants in North Kashmir’s Zachaldara forests of Rajwar area is a major success for the security forces and apprehended that militants may try to infiltrate in the coming months to fill the void created in their ranks due to successful operations.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps Lt General S A Hasnain while interacting with the media at Handwara about the operation said: “We have eliminated 10 militants over the recent days and it has created a void among the militant ranks. There will be attempts from the other side during the coming months to fill it.”
He dismissed suggestions that the killed militants were infiltrators, saying they were active in the forest area. He said the group was probably in the area to receive infiltrators and guide them into the hinterland of Kashmir valley.
It may be mentioned here that 5 militants of LeT were killed in Zachaldara forests of Handwara yesterday. On March 28, 5 LeT militants were eliminated in nearby Rajwar forests. All these militants were thought to be that of the same group of LeT, who were hiding in the forests for past over a year.
After conducting the searches of the encounter site by the security forces, large quantity of arms and ammunition, including five AK assault rifles, 17 magazines, 350 rounds, five hand grenades, one radio set, two GPS devices, two mobile chargers and two diaries were recovered.
Sources said that 10 dead militants were part of a large LeT group that was in Rajwar forest area of Handwara in the frontier district of Kupwara. The security forces were tracking them for past few months and killed 10 of them in three successful operations. However, as per sources, 15 militants of the LeT are still in the forests of Zachaldara.
Meanwhile in Srinagar, militants carried out a grenade attack at the Srinagar airport road last night but there was no damage done in the explosion.
A blast was reported from Humhama area on the outskirts of the city, on way to airport, at 10 pm last night, police said.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that it was a grenade blast but there were no reports of any damage in the incident, police added.
The blast took place close to the area housing the police headquarters, State Vigilance Organisation headquarters and ITI complex, police spokesman added.

BANGALORE, Apr 6:
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna today objected to Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani’s statement that India had not given enough information on LeT founder Hafiz Saeed’s involvement in the Mumbai terror attack, saying the dossier sent by the Home Minister contained all details.
‘Islamabad has chosen not to conduct an investigation.  No amount denial can exonerate Saeed unless there is judicial inquiry so responsible. But unfortunately Pakistan government has not felt it proper to investigate this,’ he told reporters at his Sadashiv  Nagar residence here.
Mr Krishna said the dossier Home Minister P Chidambaram had given to Islamabad had every detail on Saeed’s involvement in attacks on Mumbai.
Mr Gilani had said that the matter of Saeed was an  ‘internal issue’ and if there is any concrete proof against him then it should be provided to his country.
The External affairs minister said Prime Minister  Manmohan Singh’s meeting with Pakistan President Asif Zardari when he visits India on pilgrimage may not be in detail.
‘I expect all bilateral issues will come up during the meeting. But they may not be able to go in great detail as it is a private visit of President Zardari to Ajmer. I do not know whether they would have time to go into great details,’ he said.
Zardari is coming to India to visit the Sufi shrine of  Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer. Before travelling to Ajmer, Zardari will meet Dr Singh over lunch in New Delhi.
Mr Krishna, however, said things were looking up in India-Pakistan bilateral relations and going by the statements made by Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, there had been a change in mind set in Pakistan regarding the bilateral relations.
‘From whatever I have gathered in last three years, Ms Rabbani has told me personally (during her visit to India last year) that there is a mind-set that has changed in Pakistan. I believe in her. India-Pakistan bilateral (relationship) is looking up. Eventually it will,’ he  added.
On Chinese objection to India exploring oil in the disputed areas of South China Sea, Krishna said South China Sea was the ‘property of the world’.
‘ASEAN countries have accepted this. China has also accepted it,’ he asserted.
Mr Krishna, however, stressed that there was absolutely no strain in relationship between India and China and it was evident from the recent visit of China’s Prime Minister to Delhi, he added. (UNI)

From Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Apr 6:  Despite the court directions, Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr. Saleem-ur-Rehman, is not relieving 24 Assistant Surgeons, who have been selected for Senior Residency and Registrarship in Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura and Government Medical College, Srinagar.
At the same time, the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir has relieved some of the blue-eyed Assistant Surgeons for Senior Residency and Registrarship including Dr. Abrar,  son in law of former Commissioner/Secretary, Health and Medical Education.
Following the denial of the Director Health Services Kashmir to relieve them for Senior Residency and Registrarship, the aggrieved doctors approached the court and sort relief. They got the relief from the court but only to be left high and dry by the Director.
Justice Hasnain Masoodi has passed an order on March 15 directing DHS Kashmir to relieve the Assistant Surgeons so that they can join SKIMS Soura, Government Medical College, Srinagar and Government Medical College, Jammu as Senior Residents and Registrars.
“The respondents are directed to allow all such petitioners who have been selected for the  Senior Resident- ship/Registrarship in Government Medical College, Srinagar and SKIMS Soura, Srinagar to complete the tenure posting and relieve them immediately,” said Justice Masoodi in his order.
In the order Justice Masoodi had  directed the DHS Kashmir to avail the services of the Senior Resi- dents/Demonstrators/Registrars who have already completed their tenure. He said these people should be engaged in place of the Assistant Surgeons who have been selected for Resident- ship/Registrarship.
The order was issued with respect to several service writ petitions (SWPs) filed by the petitioners over the past few months. Around 20 SWPs (1917/2011, 1522/2011, 2223/2011, 2648/2011, 1662/2011, 1198/2011, 1472/2011, 1416/2011, 1723/2011, 2508/2011, 1711/2011, 119/2011, 1604/2011, 1444/2011, 1466/2011, 1493/2011, 1005/2011, 1769/2011, 2430/2011 and 2781/2011) were filed and later clubbed together.
Taking a strong note of the arbitrary release of the doctors by DHS Kashmir for residentship/registrarship, Justice Masoodi has said that such a move would deprive the petitioners of an opportunity to compete for lecturership in Government Medical College, Srinagar and SKIMS Soura, Srinagar. He said that this is more important as senior residentship and registrarship is prescribed as important condition for an Assistant Surgeon to be eligible for lecturership.
Responding to the contention of the respondents that the doctors cannot be relieved since a policy has been framed in this regard, Justice Masoodi said that the policy came into effect from March 2, 2012 while as petitioners pleaded their case before this date. He said the policy has laid down under the Government Order number 164-HME of 2012 dated 02-03-2012.
“It is stated that the Government has come out with a policy reflected in Government order number 164-HME of 2012 dated 02-03-2012, whereby guidelines has been laid down to regulate the deputation of in-service Assistant Surgeons as Senior Residents and Registrars in SKIMS and Government Medical College, Srinagar/Jammu. There is no disagreement with the proposition that in absence of the policy, the respondents could not resort to pick and choose method and exercise their discretion in an arbitrary manner,” said Justice Masoodi.
The medicos who are not relieved by the DHS Kashmir are Dr. Asim Rafiq Laharwal, Dr. Fayaz Ahmad War, Dr. Javid Muzamil Dandroo, Dr. Ahmad Beg, Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Wani, Dr. Hilal Ahmad Dar, Dr. Waseem Jan Shah, Dr. Sami Jan, Dr. Muzaffar Ali Khan, Dr. Gulzar Ahmad Dar, Dr. Jan Mohammad Sheikh, Dr. Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, Dr. Ikhlas Ahmad, Dr. Rouf Gull Ganaie, Dr. Adnan Rashid Mattoo, Dr. Irshad Ahmad Lone, Dr. Peerzada Umer Farooq Baba, Dr. Manzoor Ahmad Lone, Dr. Shakil-ur-Rehman, Dr. Maqsood Ahmad Dar, Dr. Tariq Abdullah Mir, Dr. Farooq Ahmad Dar, Dr. Manmohan Singh and Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Dar.

By Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 6: Delay in preparation of draft rolls followed by revision of electoral rolls and completion of many other formalities have delayed elections to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and it would be impossible for the Election Department to complete poll process even in May.
Official sources said the statement by Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Nasir Aslam Wani, who also holds charge of Home Department, in the Legislative Council on April 4 that ULB election process would be completed by April end appeared to have been made out of sight.
“The Government, had in January this year, written to the Election Department to complete election process of Municipalities by April end. The statement was reportedly based on that order, which has neither been modified nor cancelled so far”, they said.
However, according to sources, due to delay in preparation of draft rolls by some of the Deputy Commissioners, which would be followed by mandatory revision of electoral rolls and reservation of wards for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and women, the Election Department was not in a position even to complete the election process in May what to say of April end.
Even Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in his reply to the debate on grants of his Departments in the Legislative Assembly on March 28, had said that elections to ULBs would be held this year. He had not mentioned any specific month or given any deadline for conducting the polls, dropping enough hints that elections were unlikely to be completed by the April end deadline set by him early this year.
Meanwhile, when approached for his comments, Nasir Aslam Wani, said he had reiterated the Government message sent to the Election Department earlier that the election process should be completed by April end.
“I had said in the Council that the Government had written to the Election Department to complete poll process by April end”, he said, adding it was for the Department now to give reasons for not meeting the deadline.
Mr Wani said Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, who holds portfolio of Housing and Urban Development Department, has called a meeting of all concerned officials early next week, most likely on Monday or Tuesday, to discuss threadbare a strategy to hold the Municipal elections at the early possible date.
Sources said revised figures of the census have made Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) eligible for 75 Wards instead of present 65 while Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) even didn’t qualify for existing 71 Wards. Under the Act, population of a Ward in the Corporation shouldn’t exceed 7500.
The Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar has already written to the concerned authorities including Housing and Urban Development Department and Election Department for increase in number of Wards of the SMC from 65 to 75. The H&UD Department was yet to take a decision on it.
In addition to this, sources pointed out, a number of districts were yet to come up with draft rolls. Though some of the districts have prepared draft rolls, others were yet to submit the lists to the Election Department.
“Only when all districts submit draft rolls to the Election Department that revision of electoral rolls could be ordered ”, sources said pointing out that revision of rolls was mandatory before conducting elections to the Municipalities.
It would take at least 15 days to the Election Department to complete revision of electoral rolls.
Going by the statement of Nasir Aslam Wani that reserved Wards for women would be changed in the elections, sources said, the exercise of identifying the Wards for reservation of SC, STs and women as provided in the Municipal Act would also take time as these Wards would be identified by the Deputy Commissioners and conveyed to the Election Department.
Due to addition of some Municipalities, their Wards, voters and reserved Wards were also yet to be fully identified. Moreover, some areas of Municipalities have been included in Panchayats and vice versa. The concerned Deputy Commissioners have to finally demarcate the Wards.
Fresh census figures have also created certain problems, sources said, adding that population had increase in some Wards and gone down in others, leading to imbalances, which were being set right.
After revision of electoral rolls was completed, the Election Department had to issue a notification of 21 days for starting elections process for first phase, sources said.
The elections to Urban Local Bodies were hanging fire for past about two years now as all Municipal bodies had ceased to exist in March 2010. Elections to the ULBs were held in January-February 2005 after a gap of about 26 years as they had last been held in 1979. The Municipalities were formed in first week of March in 2005 and they completed their five years term in March 2010. Since then, the elections hadn’t been held to Municipal bodies.
During last elections held to the Municipalities, there were 14.34 lakh voters. With elections now being held after more than seven years, the number of electorates was expected to go up significantly especially with the inclusion of 16 more Municipalities for holding elections.
The Central funds worth several crores had been blocked due to delay in holding of elections to the ULBs, sources said, adding though the funds are non-lapsable, they would be granted by the Centre to the State only when elections were held to the Municipalities.
It may be mentioned that the Centre has agreed to release Rs 364 crore worth funds to the State, which had been blocked due to delay in holding of elections to the Panchayats.
According to sources, the elections to Municipalities would be held on party basis contrary to the Panchayat elections, which were held on non-party basis last year.
Sources said only after the completion of electoral process for Municipalities, the Government would hold first ever elections to Block Development Councils in the State, which would be second tier of Panchayats.
Election for four seats of Legislative Council of Panchayats would also be held after the Municipal polls, sources said, adding that the Government could request the Election Commission through the State Election Department to hold election for four seats of MLCs from Panchayat quota (two each from Jammu and Kashmir divisions) simultaneously with two seats of MLCs to be elected by the Municipalities (one each from Jammu and Kashmir divisions) if the ULBs were in place.