OBC Report, Delimitation Delays Hold Up Jammu Kashmir Panchayat and ULB Elections : Govt | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government today informed the Legislative Assembly that elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), pending for over two years, are stuck due to procedural delays, including the delimitation exercise and the awaited report of the Backward Classes Commission on OBC reservation.

Responding to a written query by PDP legislator Mir Mohammad Fayaz, the government admitted that the terms of Halqa Panchayats and Block Development Councils (BDCs) expired in January 2024, while District Development Councils (DDCs) will complete their term on February 24, 2026. Similarly, the Srinagar and Jammu Municipal Corporations, along with all other municipal councils and committees, have been without elected representatives since November 2023.

The government maintained that while the superintendence, direction and control of these elections is vested with the State Election Commission, which is making preparations, the process remains contingent upon completion of delimitation in five ULBs and the final notification of the OBC Commission’s report.

“The report submitted by the Dedicated Backward Classes Commission is under consideration of the Competent Authority and further steps for conduct of ULB elections will be taken accordingly,” the government stated, adding that the process of reservation and rotation of municipal wards can only be initiated after the Commission’s report is approved and notified.

On the delimitation front, the government said that while the exercise has been completed for 72 out of 77 ULBs, it is still underway for the remaining five. The revision of electoral rolls, a pre-requisite for conducting polls, will also be taken up only after receiving directions from the government.

The prolonged delay in holding elections has had a direct financial fallout, with central funds for capacity building of PRI representatives remaining largely unutilised. The government disclosed that out of Rs 97.42 crore approved under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) for 2024-25 and 2025-26, barely 15 per cent has been utilised due to the absence of elected bodies.

In contrast, during 2022-23 and 2023-24, when PRIs were functional, the Union government had released Rs 159.13 crore for training and capacity building, of which 68.56 per cent was utilised.

The government also provided a detailed breakdown of expenditure under the District Capex Budget for the PRI sector, showing a sharp decline in utilisation for the current financial year. While Rs 278.13 crore and Rs 270.93 crore were allocated under the DDB/BDC and PRI sectors in 2023-24 and 2024-25 respectively, the figures for 2025-26 (as on date) stand at only Rs 231.53 crore allocated under these heads, reflecting reduced spending owing to the lack of elected representatives.

On the logistics front, the government informed the House that it has procured 30,000 ballot boxes and signed an MoU with the Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission for the procurement of EVMs to ensure smooth conduct of elections whenever they are announced. (KNS)