The Chief Electoral Officer has initiated the process for conducting the Urban Local Body elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The CEO issued a notification to revise and update the Municipal Electoral Rolls for all bodies. The terms of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Jammu Municipal Corporation will expire in November, while the terms of all other Municipal bodies, including Councils and Committees, in the UT will end between October and November. The five-year term of the Panchayats will end in January 2024. Consequently, the elections for Urban Local Bodies are required to be completed before the end of October, and the Panchayat elections should be held in the middle of December this year. The term of the Block Development Councils (BDCs) will end in October 2024, while the District Development Councils (DDCs) will complete their tenure in January 2026.
Democratically elected public representatives from these institutions have collaborated closely with the UT administration to promote the development of Jammu and Kashmir. The developmental efforts have been well received by the people, and even the remotest villages have benefited from the fruits of development. Local public representatives have worked in tandem with authorities, planning and executing various development projects to address the specific needs of their constituencies. These projects have encompassed areas such as irrigation, agriculture, drainage, water management, healthcare facilities, and community centres. To improve the functioning of Municipal Corporations, Corporators visited top-performing counterparts in other regions to learn from their experiences and implement successful practices in Jammu and Srinagar. Efforts were also made to enhance waste management systems, with door-to-door waste collection and segregation initiatives being significant achievements. The combined efforts of the elected representatives, local communities, and the administration have played a crucial role in these positive changes in Jammu and Kashmir.
The stage is now set for another round of elections in Jammu and Kashmir, and the process involves various steps such as the notification for upgrading electoral rolls, publication of rolls, objections, and final notification. The upcoming elections will start with Corporation and Council elections, followed by Panchayat elections. One notable change is that parties that previously boycotted the elections will be participating this time. The transformation has created an atmosphere where people are eagerly looking forward to exercising their rights to elect their representatives. Unlike in the past, there will be no dictates of boycotts or hartals this time, indicating a positive shift in the political landscape. The credit for establishing democracy in Jammu and Kashmir goes to the administration, which has worked towards ensuring free and fair elections. As a result, the confidence of the people in the region has been restored, and they are ready to actively participate in the electoral process to shape their future through democratic means.
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