SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh currently have no elected representatives in their Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), as the tenure of the previous bodies ended in December 2023 and fresh elections have yet to be conducted, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Elections for Panchayats in both Union Territories were due last year but remain pending. As a result, local governance is currently functioning without elected representatives.
Panchayats are responsible for implementing various government schemes related to rural development, employment, and infrastructure. The delay in elections means these functions are being managed by administrative bodies instead of elected representatives, the ministry’s response said.
The ministry’s data also indicates that in other states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha, thousands of elected women sarpanches are leading local governance, whereas in JK and Ladakh, the electoral process is yet to be completed.
The government has not yet provided a confirmed timeline for holding Panchayat elections in the two Union Territories. (KNO)
