Elections to JK local bodies in limbo

As the situation in the Valley remains far from normal, one of the casualties is elections to the panchayats and urban local bodies.
The elections to around 4,110 local bodies, with seven members each, was scheduled for mid-2016 but due to adverse law and order situation, thanks to militancy, the polls could not be held, a senior government official today said.
There was an attempt to hold these elections before the bypoll to the Srinagar Lok Sabha seats in April 2017, but due to the prevailing security situation, it could not be held then as well.
The official said there was no possibility to hold the elections in immediate future in view of regular incidents of militant attacks on security forces and innocent citizens.

However, the absence of local bodies is not hampering the flow of funds to Jammu and Kashmir from the central government as the state enjoys special status under the Article 370 of the Constitution.
As per the 73rd and 74th Amendments of Constitution, it is mandatory for all other states to hold elections to the local bodies regularly to get development funds from Centre.

Currently, Block Developments Officers (BDOs) are looking after the affairs of the panchayats and municipal commissioners in urban local bodies in Jammu and Kashmir.
Another official said if the elections for the panchayats and urban local bodies in Jammu and Kashmir were conducted, a large number of people would have been directly involved.

There would have been elections to around 28,770 seats in 4,110 local bodies (seven each) and at least four people would have contested each seat, he said.
Asked about apprehension of attacks on candidates, the official said just one candidate was killed by militants in 2011.
There are 22 districts in Jammu and Kashmir with 6,652 villages, 143 blocks and 82 tehsils. As per the 2011 census, the population of the state was 1.25 crore.