District Administrations in Jammu region have notified draft District Development Council (DDC) constituencies’ alongwith the territorial limit of each constituency inviting objections to the proposal on or by October 23, 2020.
It was after the Government’s announcement on holding elections for DDCs, the administration has published notifications and invited objections from people which should be submitted in the office of Deputy Commissioners.
In these notifications, the Deputy Commissioners have notified the establishment of fourteen constituencies in each district.
In Jammu, as per the notification, the new proposed District Development Council constituencies include Akhnoor (Comprising of 26 Panchayats), Arnia (Comprising of 10 Panchayats in Arnia and 11 in Bishnah), besides, Bhalwal, Bhalwal Brahmana, Bishnah, Dansal, Khour, Mandal, Phallian, Nagrota, RS Pura and Suchetgarh. “These 14 DDC constituencies have been proposed in the draft notification and objections have been invited by the DC Jammu office by or before October 23rd,” reads the notification.
In Samba district, the notification has maintained 14 proposed DDC constituencies i.e. Bari Brahmana-A, Bari Brahmana-B, Ghagwal, Nud, Purmandal, Rajpura, Ramgarh-A, Ramgarh-B, Ramgarh-C, Samba-A, Samba-B, Sumb, Vijaypur-A and Vijaypur-B.
Similarly, in Rajouri district, the administration has proposed Budhal New, Budhal Old, Budhal Old 1, Darhal, Dhangri, Doongi, Kalakote, Manjakote, Moughla, Nowshera, Rajouri, Seri, Sunderbani and Thanamandi among the 14 DDC constituencies.
Raising questions over the process, the Congress Party’s Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said that: “The process is being conducted hurriedly without providing ample opportunity and adequate time to people to file their objections.” He questioned about the justification of dividing districts into 14 constituencies even as some districts like Jammu, Rajouri, and Kathua have big huge populations.
How it is possible is that one constituency having population of 30,000 populations and another constituency have 50, 000 population; he questioned criteria being adopted for bifurcation of the DCC constituencies. The attempts are being made to delay assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, he claimed.
Pertinently, the elected DDCs will elect chairpersons and vice chairpersons from among themselves, while it will replace the District Development Boards existing in the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir.
“Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India envisages establishment of a District Development Council having jurisdiction over the entire district excluding such portion of the district as are included in a Municipality or Municipal Corporation constituted under any law for the time being in force,” reads a recent notification.