35,000 elected reps to be part of development
*Will protect rights of refugees, tribals, Valmikis
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 16: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today announced that Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir will certainly be held following improvement in weather conditions and 35,000 newly elected representatives will contribute to development of the Union Territory.
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Addressing a large gathering of farmers and devotees during his visit to Jhiri Mela, Sinha said the Panchayat elections should have happened by now but there were certain Constitutional obligations as Other Backward Classes (OBCs) had been denied reservations in the Local Bodies.
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“Many people from the OBC groups approached the Government and the administration and finally the Parliament made amendments to grant reservations to the OBCs,” he said, adding in-between the elections were held to Lok Sabha and Assembly.
The Lieutenant Governor said the Panchayat elections will surely be held following improvement in weather conditions and 35,000 elected representatives of the Panchayats will contribute to development of Jammu and Kashmir.
The LG’s statement was a clear indication that Panchayat elections could be held in Jammu and Kashmir in March-April or April-May next year when the weather opens up in all hilly areas after onset of summer.
However, there was no mention of Municipal elections in the statement of Manoj Sinha whether they will be held after Panchayat polls or not.
Both these elections had become due in October-November 2023 following completion of the term of Urban Local Bodies between October to December 2023 and Panchayats on January 6, 2024. However, the elections couldn’t be held due to grant of reservations to OBCs in both Urban and Rural Local Bodies. Following the Parliament nod, the UT Government set up OBCs Commission to decide percentage of reservations to be given to the OBCs in the Local Bodies. Once the Commission submits its report, the elections can be held. Presently, women enjoy 33 percent reservations in the Panchayats and Municipalities while Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) get reservations proportionate to their population.
The Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls for the Panchayats is on and final rolls are due to be published on January 6, 2025.
The tenure of the Block Development Councils (BDCs) also ended in October, while the District Development Councils (DDCs) will complete their term in January 2026.
The LG in his address also reiterated his commitment to protect the rights of the displaced families from Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), West Pakistan Refugees, tribals, Valmikis and other deprived sections who benefited from the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
“Empowering J-K’s farmers is my mission for which we have taken strategic steps to accelerate transformation in agriculture and allied sectors. We will ensure that the youth in the rural areas get equal opportunities to shine,” Sinha told the gathering.
Highlighting the deep spiritual and cultural significance of Jhiri Mela, the LG said the annual event “reminds us about the sacrifices of our farming families and their vital role in serving and nurturing humanity”.
“Jhiri Mela symbolises India’s cultural unity, and the traditions tied to the thread of social values provide an opportunity to the people to learn about our heritage, culture, art and craft,” Sinha said.
Jhiri Mela is held every year during “Kartik Purnima” when devotees pay obeisance at the Baba Jitto temple in Jhiri village on the Jammu-Akhnoor national highway.
Scores of devotees, mainly from the Jammu region, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, visit the fair each year to commemorate the sacrifice of Baba Jitto, a farmer who gave up his life in protest against the oppressive demands of a zamindar about 500 years ago.
Bharat Bhushan, Chairman, DDC Jammu; Anand Jain, ADGP, Jammu; Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu; Surinder Kumar, Member of Legislative Assembly from Marh; Sachin Kumar Vaishya, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, senior officials, and people from all walks of life were present.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture, Jammu was awarded the first prize for its outstanding display of different activities in exhibition stalls established during the Jhiri Mela by the Lieutenant Governor. The award was received by Satish Sharma, Joint Director Agriculture Extension, Jammu.
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