Panchayat, ULB Polls Govt forms committees for drawing road map, schedule

Report to be submitted by August 10

SRINAGAR: In line with the tentative September-October timeline the Governor N N Vohra has set for holding the elections to revive the grassroots democracy, the state government on Thursday constituted three official panels- a state and two divisional level committees to conduct preparatory work for the Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) polls in the state.

The constitution of these panels comes a week after Governor N N Vohra set the ball rolling for revival of grassroots democracy in state, one of his long-denied dreams- and probably the most significant one. Panchayat elections were last held in the state in 2011 and the local urban bodies elections were in 2005.

On Thursday, the government constituted two divisional level committees for Kashmir and Jammu, and a state-level committee.

Both the divisional level committees have been directed to take an assessment of manpower, security, logistical transport, equipments and all other requirements, and submit an outline of the possibilities and constraints to the State Level Committee within one week--by 27th July.

The state level committee has been assigned the task to draw a road map and detailed schedule for conduct of Elections to Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats across the State on the basis of inputs from the Divisional level Committees and ‘an assessment of the ground level situation taking into consideration security, logistical, personnel, equipment and all other requirements.’
The State Level Committee has been asked to submit its report to the Government by August 10.

An official order released by the General Administration Department (GAD), Principal Secretary, Home Department, would be the chairman for the state level committee, while as director general of police, principal secretary transport department, additional director general of police (CID), divisional commissioner, Kashmir/Jammu would work as its members, an official spokesman said.

He said the 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.

The spokesman said for Jammu division, divisional commissioner, Jammu, has been made the chairman, while as the inspector general of police, Jammu, and director rural development, Jammu, would work as members. Director urban local bodies, Jammu, will work as member secretary, he added.

The order further states that in the divisional level committee for Kashmir division, divisional commissioner, Kashmir, would serve as the chairman, while as the inspector general of police, Kashmir, and director rural development, Kashmir, would be members.

Director urban local bodies, Kashmir, has been made member secretary of the committee, he said.

The committees -- both in Kashmir and Jammu divisions -- would have the discretion to co-opt any other member, the spokesman said.

It may be mentioned here that the Centre government is exploring the possibility of holding panchayat elections in the state in September-October after Governor N N Vohra directed the state administration to prepare the ground for the polls.


The state government is preparing the ground for the panchayat polls, senior officials have maintained, asserting the elections have to be held before the onset of the winter and September-October is the possible window for carrying out the exercise.

Panchayat elections for 4,130 sarpanch and 29,719 panch constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir were last held in 2011 after a gap of nearly four decades. The polls to the local bodies were supposed to be held in 2016 but could not be conducted due to the five-month-long unrest in the Kashmir Valley following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on July 8 that year.

The central government will provide all assistance, including adequate security forces, to the state administration, which is under the Governor's rule after Mehbooba Mufti resigned as chief minister on June 19 after her party PDP's alliance partner BJP withdrew support.

Reports said the State Election Commission is ready to hold the panchayat polls and is awaiting for the state administration's nod.

Earlier this month, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, during their visit to Kashmir valley, also pressed for the conduct of panchayat elections, the official said.