NC delegations meets JK Guv, pitches for delimitation comm

A National Conference delegation today met Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra and demanded the constitution of a Delimitation Commission to reorganise Panchayats and Wards in the state.
Vehemently opposing the ongoing "arbitrary" delimitation of Panchayats ahead of panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir, they said, the Commission should be headed by a retired high court judge and reorganisation of panchayats and wards be done in a time bound, fair and transparent manner.
"NC vehemently opposes the ongoing arbitrary delimitation of panchayats ahead of panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir. We reiterated NC's demand for constitution of an empowered Delimitation Commission, headed by a retired high court judge, to reorganise panchayats and wards in Jammu and Kashmir in a time-bound, fair and transparent manner," NC General Secretary Ali Mohammed Sagar said.

"The process was presently being carried out by lower rung officials and it is sham and mockery of democracy," Sagar, who led the delegation, told the Governor at Raj Bhavan while presenting a memorandum.
The process, initiated by the state government through its Department of Rural Development and Panchayats, they alleged will be over within seven days "according to a circular, issued by the Government".
It is being carried out in the most arbitrary manner and not in consonance with the laid down norms and procedures of the Panchayati Raj Act, the memorandum said.

"The hush hush manner in which the delimitation is being carried out through lower rung officials sans the sincerity of the government, speaks volumes about political consideration behind the move," it alleged.

The government is delimiting the panchayats and wards as per political convenience and suitability of the PDP-BJP dispensation, it said.
The new panchayats and wards are reportedly being carved out taking 2011 census as referral point, notwithstanding the fact that the voter lists of 2017 stand notified.
"We demand that 2017 base datum to be made the referral point which is also the spirit of the State's Panchayati Raj Act," the NC delegation said and demanded that the on-going delimitation process to be stopped forthwith.
Soliciting the Governor's intervention, they said the present dispensation has been demonstrating an anarchical approach towards various vexed political issues which was hugely discernible during the passage of Amendment to the J&K Panchayati Raj Act which sealed the prospect of direct election of Sarpanchs.