NVI Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 11 (NVI): The State Election Commission (SEC) in Jammu and Kashmir has officially started preparations to conduct Panchayat elections in the region.
This development follows the recent conclusion of Assembly elections in J&K after a decade, where the NC-Congress alliance is poised to form the government in the Union Territory.
In a formal communication to district development commissioners, the SEC has requested the submission of the final Panchayat electoral roll for 2024 in digital format. “Kindly provide the soft copies of the final panchayat electoral Roll 2024 for uploading on the SEC website,” the letter reads, as confirmed by sources.
The Panchayat elections are expected to take place by the end of this year, as the commission has already initiated the necessary procedures.
During the last Panchayat elections in 2018, a total of 27,281 panchayat members (panches) and village headmen (sarpanches) were elected. However, 12,776 panch and sarpanch seats remained vacant, leading to subsequent by-elections in 2020. Unlike national elections, the Panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir are organized by the J&K State Election Commission rather than the Election Commission of India.
The five-year term for approximately 30,000 panches and sarpanches ended on January 9, 2024. Alongside this, the distribution of the Rs 25 lakh panchayat fund also concluded. The upcoming 2024 Panchayat elections will be held after the completion of fresh delimitation of ‘Halqas’ or Revenue Villages.(News Vibes of India)
