‘Exercise likely to start next month’ Berths
Faizan Wani
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government is contemplating to hold Panchayat polls for over 12000 vacant Sarpanch and Panch posts in February and March.
Highly placed sources told wire service—Kashmir News Observer that Central government is keen on filling vacant Panchayat berths in Jammu and Kashmir, especially Kashmir.
“The government is contemplating to hold polls for vacant seats in February and March,” they said, adding that more than 12000 berths of Sarpanchs and Panchs were left vacant in 2018 Panchayat polls due to non-availability of candidates. The panchayat polls were conducted in November – December 2018 by Governor Satya Pal- Malik led administration.
As per KNO, it is worthwhile to mention here that J&K government last week constituted three committees to work out roadmap for holding panchayat polls for vacant seats. The administration constituted apex and divisional level committees to draw roadmap for polls to the 12,731 vacant panchayat seats in J&K UT.
Headed by Principal Secretary, Home, the eight-member apex panel comprised of the Director-General of Police, Additional Director General of Police (CID), Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu and the Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. Besides the Apex committee, there will be separate four-member committees each for Jammu and Kashmir divisions, headed by their respective commissioners, according to the order.
The apex committee will draw a road map and a detailed schedule for conducting the elections on the basis of inputs on the ground level situation from the divisional level committees. According to officials, there are 12,565 vacant panchayat seats in Kashmir and 166 in Jammu region.
