Government to defer Municipal elections ULB Polls May Be Held Only After Assembly Elections; My Department IsReady: Jora ╚►Srinagar, Uncertainty continues over the conduct of Urban Local Body polls in Jammu and Kashmir, due since February 2010, despite the Urban Development Department having communicated tothe State Government about its readiness to hold the exercise. Revision of electoral rolls, parliamentary elections 2014, next year’s tourist season and Assembly polls seem to be priorities of the government and ULB polls are hence likely to be deferred till then. Ministerfor Urban Development, Nawan Rigzin Jora, said his department has informed the Government that they were ready to hold the election which is linked to reforms and wouldhelp J&K avail funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). “Since May 15 we are ready and in fact my ministry has submitted a memo to the General Administration Department detailing that all the required steps including updating electoral rolls for Municipal Corporations and Councils have been completed,” Jora informed Greater Kashmir. However, he said it was up to the State Government to take a final call on the timing for conduct ofthe polls. Sources in the government said there were ‘minimal chances’ forpolls being conducted towards later part of this year since preparations would be set afoot by the Election Commission for revision of rolls for conduct of Parliamentary elections. “The process is likely to commence during or after October this year and once the exercise is taken up it will be very difficult to hold municipal polls before the Parliamentary polls,” sources said. They said the conclusionof Lok Sabha polls would coincide with the tourist season in Kashmir next year after which State Assembly polls are due. “In this situation, there are bleak chances of present government holding local body polls during its tenure,” sources said. The elections to the ULBs were due in February 2010 after the previous elected bodies completed their terms. The last elections to the bodies were held in 2005 after a gap of 26 years. In September 2012, the Cabinet decided to hold the elections in December but the process was delayed due to the electoral revision and subsequent polls for four seats of Legislative Council (LC) reserved for Panchayats. Later in April this year the National Conference- Congress Coordination Committee, headed by State Congress president Saif-ud-Din Soz, announced holding the polls by the end of June 2013. Soztoday refused to comment on why the deadline was not met. “I don’t remember this time what was discussed in the meeting,” he responded to a question. However Soz said he discussed the matter with Union Home Minister and Defense Minister recently at New Delhi. While accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Kashmirlast month, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi called for early elections to ULBs and empowering them politically and financially. Sources said the State Chief Electoral Office has twice conducted the revision of electoral rolls for municipal polls, which cost J&K financially. Elections To Urban Local Bodies Were Due In February 2010 After The Previous Elected Bodies Completed Their Term
Posted on: Sun, 07 Jul 2013 02:18:28 +0000
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