J&K may hold bypolls for 12,000 panchayat seats in February and March

SRINAGAR: The J&K government is contemplating to hold panchayat polls for over 12,000 vacant sarpanch and panch posts in February and March. The Centre is keen on filling vacant panchayat berths in the newly carved Union Territory, especially in Kashmir region, an official source said on Wednesday.

As many as 12,731 berths — 12,565 in Kashmir and 166 in Jammu regions — were left vacant during the 2018 panchayat polls due to non-availability of candidates, the source added. Issuing an order last week, the J&K administration constituted one apex and two divisional committees to draw up a road map for the polls.

Headed by principal secretary (home), the apex committee comprises the director general of police (DGP), additional DGP (CID), divisional commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu, and the secretary, department of rural development and panchayati raj. The two divisional committees, one each for Jammu and Kashmir divisions, are headed by their respective commissioners, according to the order.


The apex committee will draw a detailed schedule for conducting the elections on the basis of inputs on the ground situation from the divisional committees.