Panchayat body welcomes elections on vacant panchayat seats in J&K
Suhail Khan
SRINAGAR, Sep 19: JK Local Bodies Panch Sarpanch Association held a meeting under supervision of president Molvi Tariq in which the executive member’s discussed on political ground situation of valley and unanimously appreciated the decision of recent constituted committee of Panchayat DDC,and vacant panch sarpanch elections in J&K to complete 100% panchayati Raaj.
Molvi Tariq in a statement to appreciate the decision of government regarding the pending panchayat vacant elections which was the demand of the association, the DDC election is very compulsory for Panchayati Raj because the administrative DCs of districts are enjoying the DDC powers whenever this post and power belongs to panchayat members, as therefore panchayat Raaj is suffering with out there power heads, JK local bodies panch sarpanch association is ready for the pending panchayat elections in JK UT.
Sources said elections to about 13,000 vacant posts of panch and sarpanch in gram panchayats and the BDC elections are likely to be held in the next two months.
The posts were lying vacant since November 2018 when the elections to the local bodies were held.
Out of Kashmir’s 20,093 panch and sarpanch seats, more than 12,500 seats have remained vacant since then.
The 2018 polls to the local bodies had witnessed poor participation with two major regional political parties — the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — boycotting it.
The by-election to more than 12,500 panchayat seats was scheduled to be held in eight phases from March 5 this year, however the elections were postponed due to security reasons.