Ddcs In J&K To Cease On Feb 24, Fresh Elections Awaited

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- The District Development Councils (DDCs) in Jammu and Kashmir will cease to exist from February 24 following the completion of their five-year term, officials said on Tuesday, leaving all Panchayati Raj institutions in the Union Territory without elected representation.

The DDC elections were held for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir in November–December 2020, completing the three-tier Panchayati Raj system after the reorganisation of the erstwhile state.

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While the tenure of municipalities ended in October–November 2023, the Panchayats and Block Development Councils completed their five-year term on January 9, 2024. With the DDCs' tenure ending on February 24, there will be no elected local bodies functioning in the Union Territory.

According to officials, elections to the DDCs could not be held on time due to multiple factors, including the delimitation exercise and the reservation of wards for Other Backward Classes.

In a communication, the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj said that as per the opinion of the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and in accordance with provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rules, 1996, the term of the District Development Councils commenced from the date of issuance of the notification constituting the councils on February 25, 2021.

“Accordingly, the Councils shall cease to exist with effect from February 24, 2026,” the department said.

Last year, the Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Dedicated Backward Classes Commission, constituted on June 11, 2023 to carry out empirical studies on Other Backward Classes representation, submitted its final recommendations to the government on February 27.

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