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| Powers, functions of ‘DDC’ in JK UT | | | ISHTIYAQ AHMAD
EARLY TIMES REPORT
SRINAGAR, Dec 22: Set to prepare and approve district plans, the District Development Council (DDC) will oversee the functioning of Halqa Panchayats and block development councils in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The DDCs will also replace the District Planning and Development Boards in all districts across the region, which was implemented in erstwhile state Jammu and Kashmir in 1954 to perform its functions such as formulation of periodic and annual plans for the development of a district.
Officials said that the DDCs are powerful to utilize the development aid or government funds for the development of an entire district and implement the schemes sponsored by the government of India. “Each council will be headed by an additional district development commissioner (Additional D. C.) as a chief executive officer and the chairperson of the council will represent the district. It (DDCs) will work at district-level for the term of five years until new DDC elections are announced or held,” the official maintained, wishing not to be named.
“Earlier, the District Development Boards looked after the planning, approval or implementation of centrally sponsored schemes. The board functioned under an elected MP, MLA and an MLC and the deputy commissioner and was headed by a cabinet minister. Under the new system, the DDCs will be headed by a chairman from an elected representative,” he said.
Each DDC will have 14 directly-elected members and five standing committees will be constituted for finance, development, public works, health and education and welfare.
The Centre has amended the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, to facilitate the setting up of District Development Councils (DDC), “Under this amendment the DDCs will act as a new unit of governance in J&K. This structure will include a DDC and a District Planning Committee (DPC),” he maintained.
The official further said that for every district there will be District Planning Committee comprising Members of Parliament representing the area, Members of the State Legislature representing the areas within the District, chairperson of the District Development Council of the District, chairpersons of the town area committees/municipal committees of the district; president of the municipal council/municipal corporation, if any; the district development commissioner; additional district development commissioner, among others. The MP will function as the chairperson of this committee,” he maintained.
“The committee will “consider and guide” the formulation of development programmes for the district, and indicate priorities for various schemes and consider issues relating to the speedy development and economic uplift of the district; function as a working group for formulation of periodic and annual plans for the district; and formulate and finalise the plan and non-plan budget for the district”
It was first introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 16 October 2020, fourteen months later special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked by the parliament of India on 5 August 2019, leading the government of India to limit the powers of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and to run the union territory under the union government's rule.
It was earlier introduced in the region; however it became ineffective due to panchayati raj political system.
“DDC have the powers to organize general meetings after every three months designed to suggest a new plan or to process pending plans. And supervise the activities of gram panchayats, Block Development Council and panchayat samiti in its own jurisdiction at district-level. DDC will supervise, implement, sponsor and prepare for five main fields such as welfare, health, education, finance, public works and development intended to ensure the community development of a representing district,” officials maintained. |
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