Panchayats Non-functional in Jammu Kashmir, Ladakh: GoI | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The Government of India informed the Lok Sabha that Panchayat elections have not been held in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh after the expiry of their tenures, leaving local democratic bodies in both Union Territories non-functional.

According to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, JK currently has 276 elected representatives, including 95 women. The tenures of Gram and Block Panchayats ended in January 2024, and fresh elections are yet to be held.

In Ladakh, there are presently no elected Panchayat representatives, as their tenures also ended in January 2024 without subsequent elections.

The Ministry noted that its data reflects representatives serving in Gram, Intermediate, and District Panchayats, as reported periodically by the States and UTs. It also clarified that caste-based data, including for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, is not maintained centrally.

The disclosure comes amid calls from political parties and civil society groups for prompt Panchayat elections to revive grassroots democracy in JK and Ladakh.