 Sandeep Bhat
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 1: The Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj has issued a fresh advisory to the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, urging them to initiate steps for conducting long-pending Panchayat elections. This was revealed in a report tabled recently in both Houses of Parliament by the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.
The report stated that the Ministry had issued advisories to various States and Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry, directing them to take all necessary measures to conduct the delayed Panchayat elections in line with constitutional provisions. A separate advisory was sent to Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu on June 3, 2025.
“The Ministry has issued advisories to the States/UTs where elections are due, to take all possible steps to hold the delayed Panchayat elections in conformity with the Constitutional provisions,” the Ministry of Panchayati Raj informed the committee.
The delay in holding Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh during 2023 was attributed to “various reasons,” though specific causes were not detailed in the committee’s report. The committee, however, expressed concern over the delay and underscored the need for timely elections to ensure grassroots democratic governance.
In its strong recommendation, the committee stated: “The Committee strongly recommends that the Ministry of Panchayati Raj should take up this matter at the highest level to ensure that the purpose of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment may not be defeated by the non-holding of Panchayat elections by the State Government.”
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment, enacted in 1992, mandates the establishment of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as a system of local self-governance in rural India and requires regular elections every five years.
Jammu and Kashmir last held Panchayat elections in 2018, prior to the abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories in August 2019. Since then, both J&K and Ladakh have been under central administration, with no fresh Panchayat polls conducted amid political and administrative transitions.
The absence of elected local bodies has raised concerns about the effectiveness of grassroots governance, especially in implementing rural development schemes and ensuring participatory planning at the village level.
The committee’s observations and recommendations are expected to mount pressure on the Union Territories’ administrations to expedite preparations for the elections, seen as a crucial step in restoring democratic processes and empowering rural communities in the region. |
