Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 7: Much awaited elections to Urban Local Bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, which have been hanging fire for past more than five years on one pretext or other, were likely to miss first deadline of August-September, set by the PDP-BJP coalition Government as the Election Department has failed to undertake mandatory revision of electoral rolls even after nearly two months when the Urban Development Department wrote to it for holding the elections as early as possible.
“Though the Election Department is headless in Jammu and Kashmir after Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Umang Narula proceeded on Central deputation, it was being looked after by Additional CEO Rashpal Singh. However, the Department has miserably failed to undertake the revision of electoral rolls in Municipal limits of the State to facilitate the elections,’’ official sources told the Excelsior.
And in the absence of revision of electoral rolls, the Government can’t go ahead with the elections to the Urban Local Bodies, sources said, adding the Election Department required minimum period of three months to hold revision of electoral rolls for the elections. The Election Department has virtually become defunct in the absence of the CEO, whose name has to be approved by full bench of the Election Commission.
The Government has already submitted panel of three senior IAS officers to the Election Commission for appointment as the CEO J&K. The panel comprised Shantmanu, Ashok Parmar and Sarita Chouhan. The Commission was yet to clear any name so far.
The Urban Development Department had written to the Election Department on April 6 asking it to take steps for holding Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The UDD had approached the Department after Cabinet nod for the elections. However, even after lapse of more than two months, the Election Department had not even set the process into motion for revision of electoral rolls within the Municipal limits for holding the elections.
The Election Department needs at least three months to complete revision of electoral rolls including addition and deletion of names in the voter lists, corrections and inviting objections and claims before finalizing the rolls.
After getting the direction from the Urban Development Department, the Election Department had sought four to five months time for holding the ULB elections, which is inclusive of three months mandatory period for revision of electoral rolls of the bodies. The revision can start only after the Urban Development Department submits Ward wise list of the Corporations, Councils and Committees to the Election Department for revision of electoral rolls.
“The Election Department can start revision of electoral rolls for all 82 ULBs including two Municipal Corporations in Jammu and Srinagar after it gets complete list of the Municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir with specific mention of the Ward wise areas,’’ sources said.
The delay on part of the Government Departments could push the elections to either November-December or even the next year.
“Holding of elections now depends on the Election Department as it has to revise the electoral rolls and then issue schedule for the elections in consultations with the Urban Development Department,’’ sources said.
The ULB elections are to be held in Jammu and Kashmir after a gap of more than five years. The ULBs elected in January 2005 during the then PDP-Congress regime of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had completed their five years tenure in March 2010. But the then NC-Congress coalition Government continued to defer the elections on one pretext or the other despite initiating the process several times.
It may be mentioned here that there were 82 ULBs including Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). There were 74 Municipal Committees and six Municipal Councils. Poonch, Udhampur and Kathua in Jammu region, Sopore, Baramulla and Anantnag in Kashmir division were the Councils and the rest were Committees.
The Government could lose huge sum under 14th Finance Commission awards if the elected ULBs were not in place in the current year, sources said. At present, Anantnag district topped with 11 Municipalities followed by Jammu and Baramulla with 7 each, Kathua and Budgam 6 each, Rajouri, Kulgam and Pulwama 5 each, Samba 4, Udhampur, Doda, Ramban, Bandipora and Kupwara 3 each, Reasi and Poonch 2 each, Kishtwar, Shopian, Ganderbal, Leh and Kargil one each. Sources said apart from holding the elections, the Government was also planning to empower the Municipalities including the two Corporations in the twin capital cities of the State by bringing several Departments under their control. “A proposal to this effect would also be prepared shortly,’’ they added.
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