SEC reviews Panchayat electoral roll revision

Jammu, Mar 9: Newly appointed State Election Commissioner (SEC) of J&K, Shantmanu, on Monday assessed the process of revision of Panchayat Electoral Roll-2026 and issued instructions vis-à-vis the tentative schedule for fresh summary revision (of electoral rolls).

Official sources stated that it was a kind of introductory meeting to take stock of the revision of Panchayat Electoral Roll-2026, assess status of delimitation of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) besides the updation of control-table.

“It was an introductory-cum-interaction meeting as for quite a long time the SEC position was vacant. Many Deputy Commissioners too were changed. Besides, the last summary revision had taken place in 2025, thus necessitating a fresh exercise for updating the Panchayat electoral rolls with a tentative cut off date (of April 1, 2026). However, the final schedule in this regard will be notified very soon,” sources stated.

As prescribed under Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, Panchayat Halqas were delimitated before the conduct of general Panchayat election 2018 by the Election authority on the basis of population figures of census 2011. Since a new census has not been conducted after the 2011 census, so far there is no proposal of fresh delimitation of Panchayat Halqas at present.

As per sources, as Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is likely to begin from April, there will be no need for separate updation of electoral rolls for ULBs as it will be effectively covered under SIR.

Besides the deliberations vis-à-vis inclusion of new voters in Panchayat rolls, whose names already exist in assembly rolls – by comparing latest electoral rolls- by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) or Panchayat Election Booth Officials (PEBOs) and requirement of funds by each district for the electoral roll updation and SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) activity among other issues too figured in the meeting.

“DCs and other officers were asked about their requirements,” sources added.

This was the maiden high-level meeting of Shantmanu with specified agenda after taking over as SEC, J&K on February 21, 2026.

The meeting took place in hybrid mode with all Deputy Commissioners along with the Deputy District Election Officers (DEOs), District Informatics Officers (DIOs) and Election Naib Tehsildars (ENTs) of Union Territory of J&K attending it through video conference.

Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Secretary, J&K Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, J&K; Deputy Commissioner Jammu; Director Rural Development Department, Jammu; Director Panchayati Raj, J&K and State Informatics Officer, NIC, J&K, Jammu attended the meeting in person.

Director Rural Development Department, Kashmir attended the meeting through video conference.

Earlier this meeting was scheduled to take place on March 3, 2026 yet was postponed due to inability of Deputy Commissioners from Kashmir division to attend the meeting due to law-and-order situation emerged following protests which erupted there against the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by US-Israel forces.

On February 24, 2026, the five-year term of District Development Councils (DDCs) came to an end and with that, the three-tier Panchayati Raj system also ceased to exist in J&K. The other two tiers i.e., Panchayats and Block Development Councils (BDCs) had already completed their terms two years ago.

DDCs formed the last tier of Panchayati Raj system in J&K, in place till their five-year term concluded on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, as notified by the J&K government. Panchayats’ and BDC terms in J&K expired on January 9, 2024.

Srinagar Municipal Corporation term expired on November 5, 2023 and Jammu Municipal Corporation term expired on November 14, 2023. Further terms of all Municipal Councils and committees expired between October and November, 2023.

Recently, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had told the House that the report submitted by the Dedicated Backward Classes (OBC) Commission was under examination by the competent authority and further steps for conduct of Panchayat and ULB elections would be taken accordingly.

CM Omar shared with the House that the delimitation of 77 ULBs was taken up in pursuance to the instructions issued by the Housing and Urban Development Department. “While the delimitation has been completed for 72 ULBs, it is under process for the remaining 5 ULBs,” he informed.

Regarding reservation of wards, the Chief Minister had stated, “The process of reservation or rotation of the Sarpanch or Panch wards and municipal wards can be initiated only after the OBC Commission report is approved and notified by the competent authority.”

The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of all elections under the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act 1989, Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act 2000 and the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act 2000 is vested in the State Election Commission.