Development in districts
Central government has recently decided to give the push to the development in all the districts of Jammu and Kashmir and for this purpose they have recently decided to hold elections for the district development councils and have done the necessary amendments in the Panchayati Raj acts.
According to the administration of UT the process has been set in motion and the dates for election would be announced soon. According to the new framework, additionally the DDCs will form five standing committees, for Finance, Development, Public Works, Health and Education and Welfare.
UT administration recently in a statement said that the move to have an elected third tier of the Panchayati Raj institution marks the implementation of the entire 73rd Amendment Act in J&K. The idea is that systems that had been made defunct by earlier J&K governments such as the Panchayati Raj system are being revived under the Centre’s rule in the state through the Lieutenant Governor’s administration.
In the absence of elected representatives in the UT, senior government officials argue that DDCs will effectively become representative bodies for development at the grassroots in the 20 districts of the UT. They hope that this may draw some former legislators in as well to come and participate in these elections.
Many former lawmakers are very keen to have their hand in the ground development and for this purpose they have this election process as an opportunity to come and contribute to the development agenda.
