*How 2 norms being followed in UT: Vikar
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 23: JK PCC Chief Vikar Rasool Wani has written to the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha demanding holding of Municipal Corporations and other ULBs elections under the State Election Commission (SEC) like those of Panchayats, as mandated by 74th amendment of the constitution.
In a letter to the Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha, the president of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee has taken exceptions to the exercise for the conduct of ULB elections being undertaken without the superintendence and control of the Commission (SEC), which is clear violation of the constitutional amendment 74th and is vitiated.
Seeking holding of ULB elections, on time, under the SEC like that of rural Panchayats, as per the provisions of the constitution, in terms of 74th amendment read with Article 243 ZA and Article 243-K, without which the exercise is unconstitutional, since the constitutional provisions have to be implemented and enforced in letter and spirit.
Surprisingly the elections to the Rural Panchayats are being conducted under the State Election Commission (SEC), while the election exercise to the Urban Local Bodies is being conducted by the Chief Electoral Officer, without any jurisdiction of SEC, which is illegal and against the spirit of the Constitution while questioning the two norms being followed in the same UT, for the same set of the institutions of Panchayat Raj system, one for rural areas and other for the urban areas in J&K, he added.
JKPCC chief referred to the contributions and struggle of the Congress Party in bringing 73rd and 74th amendments and their implementation in the J&K like other part of the country which guaranteed 33 % representation to the women in all the three tiers of rural Panchayats and ULBs in J&K also, apart from proportional representation to the SCs and STs.
Besides this, there is another important component of these amendments which mandated the holding of elections to these basic institutions of democracy under the superintendence and control of an independent SEC, which though has been duly constituted but having powers and jurisdiction over the Panchayats elections only but not the urban local bodies so far.
Urging the Lt Governor, to set right the constitutional wrong being committed, the Congress has demanded the holding of the elections to the Municipal Corporations and other Urban Local Bodies under the superintendence and control of an independent State Election Commission (SEC), without any delay.
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