Early Times Report
jammu, Mar 11: For the first time in Jammu and Kashmir, electronic voting machines will be used instead of ballot paper during municipal elections being held in the state in May this year. Decks were cleared for use of EVMs when State Adminstrative Council, during its meeting under the chairmanship of Governor N N Vohra on Friday, accorded sanction to the enactment of Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2016. The Housing and Urban Development Department was to make the necessary amendments in the J&K Municipal Corporation Act and the J&K Municipal Corporation (Elections) Rules, 2003 and J&K Municipal Elections Rules, 2003 to facilitate the use of EVMs, an government spokesperson said.
This amendment in the Act and consequent amendments in Rules shall enable the use of Electronic Voting Machines in the elections to the Urban Local Bodies including the two Corporations of the State, the spokesperson added.
The municipal elections, being held in Jammu-Kashmir after 11 years, will enable the state to derive maximum benefit from the 14th Finance Commission Award, which provides about Rs 5,480 crore for the decentralized democratic framework. This includes Rs 3,463.73 crore for panchayats and Rs 1,305.64 crore for the municipalities, besides Rs 346.73 crore and Rs 261.13 crore as Performance Grants for them, respectively.
The state had lost over Rs 169 crore for the non conduct of ULB elections and an allocation of over Rs 125 crore was lost in 2015-16 for want of duly constituted municipalities.
There are two Municipal Corporations (one each at Srinagar and in Jammu), besides six Municipal Councils and 72 Municipal Committees in the state. |
