Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 17: The appointment of former IAS officer Shantmanu as the State Election Commissioner (SEC) has cleared the way for the long-awaited Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday appointed the retired bureaucrat as the SEC. According to a notification issued by the General Administration Department, the appointment has been made under sub-section (3) of Section 36 of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989.
As per the notification, Shantmanu will hold office for a term of five years or until he attains the age of 70, whichever is earlier. His tenure will commence from the date he assumes charge. The government said the detailed terms and conditions of his service will be notified separately.
The post of State Election Commissioner had been vacant since April following the completion of the tenure of B.R. Sharma, creating a key hurdle in the conduct of grassroots-level elections. The SEC is the constitutional authority responsible for holding Panchayat and Municipal polls in the Union Territory.
With the appointment now in place, the administration is expected to fast-track preparations for ULB and The post of State Election Commissioner had been vacant since April following the completion of the tenure of B.R. Sharma, creating a key hurdle in the conduct of grassroots-level elections.
The tenure of Municipal bodies in Jammu and Kashmir ended in November 2023, while that of Panchayats concluded in January 2024. Although the term of the existing District Development Councils (DDCs) is set to expire on February 24, the process for fresh elections is expected to begin shortly.
Elections had been deferred earlier due to security considerations and the pending implementation of Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation in Municipal bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions. The vacancy in the SEC’s office further stalled the process.
Recently, the government amended the relevant legislation to enhance the upper age limit for the State Election Commissioner from 65 to 70 years, thereby widening the pool of eligible candidates.
Officials in the State Election Commission and the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department indicated that much of the preparatory groundwork for Panchayat elections has already been completed. With the new SEC in place, the election process is expected to gather pace, with polls likely to be conducted in April, subject to the prevailing situation.
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