Preparations on for J&K rural elections

The stage has been set for panchayat and urban local bodies elections after the Jammu and Kashmir government constituted state and divisional level committees to conduct preparatory work for the elections.

General Administration Department issued formal orders to conduct the preparations on Thursday.

Principal Secretary, Home Department will head the state level committee comprising DGP, Principal Secretary Transport Department, Additional Director General of Police (CID), Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir/Jammu as its members.

Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj would be Member Secretary, while as representative of the Housing and Urban Development Department would serve as the Member of the committee.

Likewise, for Jammu Division, Divisional Commissioner Jammu has been made the chairman with Inspector General of Police, Jammu, and Director Rural Development, Jammu as members. 

The formation of the bodies comes days after the Governor administration approved the proposal to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989. Under the amendment, the elections of sarpanchs of halqa panchayats will be conducted directly by the electorate of Halqa Panchayats and not by electing them from among the panches themselves.  

A LONG WAIT

Panchayat polls are being held in Jammu and Kashmir after two year delay  Elections were scheduled to be held in 2016, but due to the unrest post Burhan Wani killing the grass-root democratic exercise were delayed indefinitely.