SRINAGAR: The decision to grant the financial and administrative powers of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), Panchayats, and Block Development Councils (BDCs) to the government officials is anticipated to be made in the coming days, as their terms are scheduled to expire on January 9.
Quoting official sources, the local english daily Excelsior reported that a proposal on the grant of powers of BDCs and Panchayats is in the final stage.
The powers would either go to Block Development Officers (BDOs) and Panchayat Secretaries or the Government can appoint Administrators to make sure that panchayats and blocks run well until elections are held.
Five-year term of BDCs was scheduled to end in October 2024 but as per the Rules and Panchayati Raj Act, term of BDCs is co-terminus with the Panchayats and they too will cease to exist along with Panchayats on January 9.
Election to nearly 310 BDCs were held in October 2019 while that of polls to the Panchayats were conducted in November-December 2018 and the Panchayats were formally constituted on January 8, 2019.
Meanwhile, State Election Commissioner (SEC) BR Sharma has ordered annual revision of voter lists of Panchayats.
As per an order issued by the SEC, draft rolls of Panchayats will be published on January 15. Claims and objections by the voters can be submitted till February 5. The final rolls will be published on February 26.
However, the possibility of conducting Municipal and Panchayat elections before or along with Lok Sabha polls scheduled in April-May has been ruled out.
