148 panchayat members in Jammu & Kashmir quit following threats from terrorists

JAMMU: As many as 148 panchayat members in Jammu and Kashmir resigned last year following threats from terrorists, with Budgam district topping the list with 26 Sarpanches and Panches quitting their posts.

Officials of the J&K Home Ministry said Budgam district in Kashmir Valley topped in the resignation of panchayat members with the number standing at 26.

It was followed by Leh district of Ladakh region where 24 panchayat members have resigned during the period, they said.

In Baramulla district, 22 Sarpanches and Panches resigned from their posts, followed by 15 each in Pulwama and Kargil districts, 11 in Ganderbal, 10 in Kupwara, eight in Shopian, six in Anantnag, five in Kulgam, two in Srinagar and one in Bandipora district of the Valley.

As many as 11 Sarpanches and Panches were killed in militant attacks and five others were injured during the period.

Of these, Baramulla recorded the highest killings of seven Sarpanches and Panches and injury to one, followed by Pulwama where three Sarpanches were killed and two others were injured during the period, they said, adding one Sarpanch was killed and two others were injured in Shopian district during the period in terror attacks.

There are as many as 4,198 panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir, of which Kashmir has 2,234 and Jammu 1,264.

Baramulla in North Kashmir has the highest number of 367 panchayats while Srinagar city has the lowest 53 panchayats in the state.