Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 29: After the change of guard, the Urban Development Ministry has geared itself up to hold Municipal elections in the State, which had been hanging fire, for the past three years. If all goes well, the process of elections would be set into motion immediately after completion of budget session of the Legislature.
Top official sources told the Excelsior that the Urban Development Ministry was very keen to hold Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections not only to fulfill aspirations of the people across the State but also to get the funds blocked by the Union Government on account of delay in urban reforms.
The Ministry has already taken up the issue with Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), J&K, Umang Narula as the Election Department would have to undertake revision of electoral rolls for the ULBs with the start of new year for holding the elections. The voter revision was mandatory under Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act if the elections are to be held in the new year.
Sources said the voter revision would take 45 days as the Election Department had to invite claims and objections. The 45 days time period for electoral revision has been prescribed under the Municipal laws.
“The voter revision was likely to be completed by the middle of March if it was initiated in the next few days. However, in the month of March, the budget session of the Legislature would be in progress. The session was expected to continued till first week of April”, sources said, adding that “soon after the session was over the process of elections could be set into motion and the polls could start in the first week of May”.
Admitting that tourist season could be at its peak in the month of May in the Kashmir valley, sources said if the elections were deferred in May, it could push them again to November-December. The fit time would be April-May and the Urban Development Ministry was working on the elections taking this period into account.
Sources said rest of the preparations like delimitations of the Wards, if any, and reservations of Wards for SC/STs and women would be carried out simultaneously along with revision of electoral rolls by the Deputy Commissioners. The reserved Wards of existing Municipal Corporations, Councils and Committees, in all probabilities, would remain unchanged.
The Government had been drawing flak from various quarters for delay in the elections to the ULBs, which had resulted into delay in empowerment of Municipalities and blockade of funds by the Union Government.
Elections to ULBs were due in January-February 2010 as all ULBs had ceased to exist in first week of March 2010. The ULBs were elected in January-February 2005 after a gap of 26 years.
The ULB elections were last been held in January-February 2005. 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 over eight years, the number of electorates was expected to go up significantly especially with the inclusion of 16 more Municipalities for holding elections and inclusion of new voters, who had attained the age of 18 during past eight years. All eligible voters would be included during revision of voter lists.
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.
Elections to the ULBs would also lead to full House of Legislative Council for the first time during past four decades. There were two vacancies in the Upper House as two MLCs had to be elected by the elected representatives of the Municipalities-one each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions.
The Upper House of 36 presently has 34 members. The Government had recently held elections for four posts of MLCs from Panchayat quota-two each from Jammu and Kashmir divisions. Panchayat representatives to the Upper House were elected for the first time after 1974.
The Municipal representatives to ULBs were elected in 2005.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel