Panels formed for conduct of panchayat, BDC bypolls

Jammu, September 15

The UT Administration has again set in motion the process for conducting elections to around 13,000 vacant seats of panchayat members and Block Development Councils in Jammu and Kashmir.

In this regard, the government has constituted an apex and two division-level committees to conduct preparatory work for the byelections for panchayats and BDCs.

The apex committee would draw a roadmap and detailed schedule for the conduct of elections to vacant seats of panchayats and BDCs across the Union Territory.

It would do its exercise on the basis of inputs provided by the divisional committees and upon assessment of the ground situation taking into consideration security, logistics, personnel and equipment.

On the basis of assessment of manpower, security, logistics, transport, equipment and all other requirements, the divisional committees will submit an outline of the possibilities and constraints to the apex committee for holding the panchayat and BDC elections.

The divisional committees in Kashmir and Jammu will be headed by the respective Divisional Commissioners. These committees would submit their report to the apex committee by September 21, while the apex committee would submit its report to the government by September 28.

On January 3, the government had constituted the similar panels but the elections were deferred following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Over 60 per cent of posts of panchayat members — sarpanches and panches — are vacant in Kashmir. Over 12,500 posts of panchayat members, out of the total 19,578, are vacant in Kashmir. — TNS