Term of all 280 DDC members, including 20 chairmen, expiring on 24th of this month
No signs of elections in near future
ARVIND SHARMA
JAMMU, Feb 16: The three-tier grass roots level democracy in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) will no more be there after 24th of this month as the term of all the 280 members of the District Development Councils (DDCs), including twenty (20) Chairmen, is going to expire on 24th of February this year.
There are no signs of holding Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies’ (ULB) elections in the Union Territory (UT) of J&K in near future which in turn means that the 3-tier grass roots level democracy, which was put in place here after the implementation of 73rd and 74th amendment, will no more be there after 24th of this month.
The DDC Chairman, Bharat Bhushan, said that they (all the DDC members) will approach the concerned authorities and the Government of India (GoI) demanding that Panchayat and ULB elections must be held as soon as possible.
He also said that all the 280 DDC members, including the 20 Chairmen, will also present their report card to the people on 24th of this month.
“We will hold a press conference on 24th of this month at Jammu and present our report card of last five years before the people of J&K as well before the concerned authorities,” the DDC Chairman, Bharat Bhushan, informed.
He also said that a farewell function will also be held on 24th of this month at Jammu. The sole motive of holding the press conference and the farewell function is to give a message to the concerned authorities about the works done by DDCs as also to demand that elections for grass roots level democratic institutions must be held as soon as possible, he said.
The elections for the ULBs and the panchayats in the UT of J&K were held in 2020 after the implementation of 73rd and 74th amendment in 2019.
It may be mentioned that the term of ULBs expired around 2 years back, while the term of Block Development Councils (BDCs) also expired around 2 years back. The term of Panchs and Sarpanchs also expired in 2024.
It was for the first time that the elections for the ULBs and the panchayats were held in J&K for strengthening grass roots level democracy in J&K in 2020 after the implementation of 73rd and 74th amendment of the Indian Constitution.
