After holding polls to Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats, the J & K government has set the ball rolling for conducting elections to block development councils (BDCs), which will be second-tier of the Panchayati Raj System in the state.
To begin with, the state’s Rural Development and PanchayatiRaj department has written to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for setting upof polling stations and appointment of electoral registration officers andassistant electoral registration officers for the exercise.
“We have started preparations for holding elections to 316BDCs,” Sheetal Nanda, Secretary Rural Development and Panchayati Rajdepartment, told Greater Kashmir.
In its proposal to the CEO, the department has recommendedsetting up of 316 polling stations and appointment of 632 EROs and AROs for theexercise whose electoral college comprises of Sarpnachs and Panchs.
The department has also asked directors of Rural Developmentdepartment to reserve BDCs for women and schedule castes and scheduled tribes.
In March this year, the state administrative council hadapproved holding of elections for constitution of BDCs in the state.
Chairperson of the BDC would be elected by the electoralcollege comprising panchs and sarpanchs of halqa panchayats falling within theblock.
This will be the first time in J&K that elections wouldbe held for BDCs.
In 2012, Omar Abdullah-led government’s decision to hold BDCelections was put off at the eleventh hour after differences with Congress overthe issue of reservation for schedules castes, schedule tribes and women.
A top official in state administration said the centralgovernment as well as Governor’s administration were keen to strengthendemocracy at grassroots level in the state. “The Centre is committed that thenewly established Panchayati Raj and urban local body system takes deep rootsand establishes itself as strong unit of local self-government,” he said.
In his visit to the state on June 27-28, Union Home MinisterAmit Shah had also directed the government to strengthen Panchayati Raj systemin the state.
After imposition of Governor’s rule, the state governmentconducted municipal and panchayat elections between October to December lastyear despite boycott by main political parties National Conference, PeoplesDemocratic Party, CPI(M), Awami Ittehad Party and Democratic Party Nationalist(DPN).