1300 vacancies in Panchayats

The Election Department would write to the Government tomorrow on about 1300 vacancies, which couldn’t be filled during the Panchayat elections due to varied reasons, to take a decision on their fate.

Out of 33,849 posts of Sarpanches and Panches, for which elections were successfully conducted by the State Election Department in 16 phases, nearly 1300 posts of Sarpanches and Panches remained vacant most in Kashmir region.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and Home Secretary B R Sharma told the Excelsior that he was in the process of writing to the Government about the vacancies in Panchayat elections, which couldn’t be filled during the elections.

"We are writing to the Government to take a decision tomorrow on the vacancies. It would depend on the Government as to what decision they take. If they ask us to issue a fresh notification for the vacant posts of Panchayats, it would be done shortly’’, Mr Sharma said.

He said all over 4000 Panchayats out of a total of 4130 across the State would be constituted any time after June 30.

"We are forwarding the list of over 4000 Panchayats elected during the 16 phase elections to the State Government on June 30. The names of elected Sarpanches and Panches would be submitted to the Government. Any time, thereafter, the Government could constitute the Panchayats, which would formally come into existence in first week of next month’’, Mr Sharma said.

The election was held for 4130 Panchayats including 1966 in Jammu division and 2164 in Kashmir division (including Ladakh region). Besides 4130 Sarpanches, election was held for 28,719 Panches including 15,959 in Kashmir division and 13,760 in Jammu.

However, about 1300 posts of Sarpanches and Panches, majority of Panches in Kashmir division remained unfilled. While in some segments, the candidates didn’t come forward, in some constituencies, the election couldn’t be held due to stay order obtained by the candidates through the courts.

The Government would decide whether to go for another phase of election for vacancies of Sarpanches and Panches, hold nominations or leave the vacancies unfilled, where there is no stay order.

Meanwhile, elections were held in two left out Panchayat blocks of Zanskar and Lunuk in Kargil district of Ladakh region today.

While 65 per cent voting was recorded in Zanskar block, 67 per cent people cast their votes in Lunuk.

The voting concluded peacefully, official sources said.

Sixteen phase election process had successfully been completed on June 18 excepting these two blocks. Polling in Zanskar and Lunuk was initially scheduled to be held in July as the areas remained snow bound till the end of June. However, this year, the roads were re-opened at the earliest and the polling was advanced to June 27.

The Model Code of Conduct was lifted from the State on June 18 after the near completion of electoral process in the State.