Srinagar, Aug 01: All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) has presented its memorandum to the State Election Commissioner, Braj Raj Sharma, demanding that all three-tier Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir be held simultaneously without any further delay.
The AJKPC members expressed concerns that holding the Halqa Panchayat elections (first-tier), which are due in December 2023, will further disrupt the upcoming elections of the other two tiers – Block Development Council (BDC) and District Development Council (DDC) – both of which are scheduled to take place over the next two years at different times.
While addressing the media persons, AJKPC chairman Shafaq Mir said Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRI) are currently facing a gap of one year, thereby disrupting the proper functioning at all three levels.
“It is mandatory to conduct the elections at all three levels within a gap of forty-five days, as mandated by the Panchayati Raj Act. Even though elections were held within the given timeline only, with the onset of unexpected circumstances faced by the Panchayats in previous years, they were delayed. We urge the authorities to immediately reinstate the previous order for conducting elections without any further delay,” he said.
Mir also expressed concern over the DDC elections, which were held in December 2020, saying if the government decides to hold Panchayat elections this year, they should be held when the DDC’s term ends, followed by the subsequent elections within a year.
“If the Central government fails to do so, it will jeopardise the integrity of the panchayat system,” he said.
The Panchayat members had protested on various occasions, seeking timely and simultaneous elections for all three tiers of the Panchayat elections as well as putting forward public demands. The protests, as per the AJKPC, were held to “withhold the sanctity of the Panchayat bodies in order to ensure effective governance and grassroots representation”.
