Srinagar, Feb 22: The Delimitation Commission, mandated to redraw the assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir, has got a two-month extension to complete its task, a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice said on Tuesday.
The term of the panel was coming to an end in early March. Formed in March, 2020, the panel was granted a one year extension last year.
Headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, it has Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and the state election commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir as its ex-officio members.
In its draft report shared with its five associated members — all Lok Sabha members from Jammu and Kashmir — the delimitation panel has proposed an overhaul of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in the union territory.
Jammu and Kashmir at present has no legislative assembly. It is a union territory with a provision for a legislature.
The Commission has asked the associate members to give their inputs and objections to the draft in the coming days.
Then they would be asked whether their objections, if any, should be printed before the next draft it put out in public domain.
According to the notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice, the tenure of delimitation commission has been extended by two months.
“In exercise of powers conferred by section 3 of the delimitation act 2002 (33 of 2002) the central government hereby makes the further amendment of two months in the notification of government of India in the ministry of Law and Justice (Legislative department no So-1015(e) dated 6th March 2020.
“In the notification in paragraph two for the words ‘two years’ the words ‘two years and two months’ shall be substituted,” it said.