SRINAGAR: The All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) on Monday called for immediate panchayat and block development council (BDC) elections, stating that the delay has created a democratic vacuum at the village level across the Union Territory.
The organisation said the failure to conduct elections to panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) within a year of the dissolution of elected bodies has resulted in the blockage of development funds, affecting essential rural projects.
“Elections are not a formality, they are a necessity. Rural governance is paralysed without them and the common man suffers,” said AJKPC president Anil Sharma at a press conference.
Sharma pointed out that the delay is not only affecting democratic processes but also hampering service delivery in rural areas. He said that projects related to roads, electricity, drinking water, and ration distribution have either slowed down or stopped in several regions.
Municipal bodies in Jammu and Kashmir completed their term in October–November 2023, while panchayats and BDCs concluded their five-year tenure on January 9, 2023. Since then, the institutions have been without elected representatives.
In the Budget Session of the J&K Legislative Assembly on March 3, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha stated that the government was committed to strengthening PRIs and urban local bodies (ULBs) by holding elections in a timely manner.
The submission of the final report by the J&K Local Bodies Backward Classes Commission on February 27, following its constitution in June 2023, was expected to pave the way for local body elections. However, no timeline has been announced yet.
Sharma urged the administration to set a clear schedule for both panchayat and BDC elections. He said the government must act to restore grassroots democracy and release development funds for rural areas.
“We had expected panchayat elections to follow the assembly elections, but that has not happened. The absence of elected bodies has affected accountability and representation,” Sharma said.
He reiterated the AJKPC’s long-standing demand for the establishment of a state election commission independent of political influence, with the capacity to conduct timely elections.
