E-Paper
Extend the term of existing panchayats by two years, demands Jammu and Kashmir panchayat conference
AJKPC leaders say the government should conduct the polls for all three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), in tandem with the guidelines of 73rd Amendment of Indian Constitution
All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC), an umbrella organisation of elected panchayat representatives, on Wednesday staged a protest demonstration and demanded that the government should immediately extend the term of existing panchayats in J&K by two years. The AJKPC leaders said the government should conduct the polls for all three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), in tandem with the guidelines of 73rd Amendment of Indian Constitution.
Led by AJKPC president Anil Sharma, the demonstrators reiterated their demand for extending term of the existing Panchayats in J&K by at least two more years and hold panchayat elections in January 2026.
“The term of existing District Development Councils (DDCs) will end in November-December 2025. The guidelines of 73rd Amendment state all three tiers of the PRIs should have co-terminus and elections to these bodies should be conducted within a span of 45 days. The simultaneous elections will ensure vibrancy in the rural bodies,” Sharma said.
“As the term of the District Development Councils shall end in 2025 therefore, there is no logic to end the term of the panchayats prior to it,” said Sharma.
He said LG Manoj Sinha must take a call and grant extension in the term of panchayat units in Jammu and Kashmir.
He also demanded immediate clearance of all outstanding material liabilities of the people under MGNREGA scheme who had been waiting for their payments since 2016-17.
“The patience of these people is running out and the government should immediately clear their liabilities for the period 2016-17 to 2021-22 without any further delay,” Sharma said.
