Panchayat elections in the State will be held around middle of February 2018 after a long delay. Widespread disturbances in the Valley in summer 2016 were the reason for the delay as Government did not want to allow these vital elections to be spoilt by disturbances and strikes. However, the Government now feels that the situation is conducive to the elections in coming February. The last Panchayat elections were held in 2011 during the NC-Congress coalition regime headed by Omar Abdullah. Those elections had been held after a gap of nearly four decades.
Statistics say that the number of Panchayats where elections will be held has gone up to 4500 as compared to 4166 in 2011. The elected Panchayats had completed their term in June 2016. Of 334 newly carved out Panchayats, 165 have been increased in Jammu division and 169 in Kashmir division. With this number of Panchayats in Jammu division has increased to 2121 as compared to 1956 in 2011. Number of the Panchayats has gone up to 2379 in Kashmir division as against 2210 in 2011. One peculiarity of impending Panchayat elections will be that the election will be held only for the Panchs and not for Sarpanchs. The Government has taken the decision that the Sarpanchs will be elected by the respective Panchs of the Halqa Panchayats. This decision has been objected to by the opposition, NC and the Congress but the Government has stuck to its guns and has not yielded.
The schedule for the elections has been announced. Panchayat elections will begin five days after the session of the Legislature comes to an end on February 10, 2018. Plain areas mostly in Jammu and some areas in Kashmir will first go to polls in February and in the hilly areas elections will be held in March when the weather improves. Himachal Pradesh has agreed to provide ballot boxes because the State has shortage of the same. The Government has decided that for Panchayat elections, only J&K Police and some security forces will be deployed to maintain law and order and that the army or paramilitary forces will not be deployed.
The Governor had been insisting on the Government to call Panchayat elections without further delay. In fact the Home Minister Rajnath Singh, too, had conveyed to the State Government that it should not delay Panchayat elections. Pragmatically speaking, Panchayat elections have much significance for the State and particularly the Kashmir region which has witnessed disturbances and recurrence of law and order situation. Panchayat elections mean empowering the people at the grassroots level and also a step towards stopping the alienation of the youth. Panchayati Raj has much significance because it adds local ethos to the democratic system. These elections are on non-party basis and as such, their significance cannot be underestimated.
Central Government provides big financial support to the States for holding Panchayati elections. Apart from that, the Central Government has also announced sometimes back the policy of placing specific amounts at the disposal of the Panchayats for utilising them for small developmental works in respective Panchayat Halqas. Owing to deferment of elections for more than a year funds from the Centre had remained sealed. With the announcement made by the Chief Minister, there is every likelihood of that funds will be released by the Home Ministry. The point is that Panchs and Sarpanchs after the election of 2011 came under heavy pressure of militancy. They were intimidated and some of them were gunned down by the cowardly militants in hidden operations. Yet despite all those crimes against the Panchs, the elected members of the fraternity maintained their cool and rendered valuable services to the State by supporting law and order situation. Their role is very important and significant. Besides strengthening the democratic process in the State, the Panchayati elections will also contribute immensely to the health of the security of the State. This is precisely why the Governor was insisting on the Government to go in for Panchayat elections. Now that the elections schedule has been announced for all the three regions of the State, the people will heave a sigh of relief and will prepare for fighting the elections. The Government has taken a bold and well timed decision by announcing the time schedule for the forthcoming Panchayati elections.
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