Governance

Urban Local Bodies, Panchayat polls to be held from September, says Governor Vohra

Srinagar: After years of delay, Governor N N Vohra on Wednesday said that the urban local bodies and Panchayat polls would be held from September this year.

“Elections of urban local bodies and Panchayats have been pending for long. The prolonged delay in the establishment of democratically-elected self-governing bodies at the grassroots level in urban and rural areas has resulted in the loss of considerable funds, which would have become available if elections had been held,” Vohra said in his August 15 address at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar.

Governor said that the necessary amendments to the existing laws have already been made and speedy action is underway to gear-up the administrative and logistical arrangements for undertaking both these elections.

“Elections to urban local bodies will take place in September-October while the phased Panchayat polls will be held in October-December,” he said.

Vohra said his administration was taking action to ensure that adequate funds, delegation of administrative and financial authority, deployment of required staff and logistical support is provided to municipalities and Panchayats, as soon as they are established.

“I would appeal to the leaders of all political parties in the state to provide full support to the administration to improve efficiency and accountability in every arena of functioning and to lend their valuable support towards engendering an environment in which the forthcoming elections to municipalities and Panchayats produce a positive outcome.”

He asserted that only dialogue and discussion can solve problems faced by the state as a confrontational approach will never lead to any resolution and said that “pursuit of divisive and confrontationist” approaches can never lead to the resolution of any of the problems.

He said, “To pull the state out of the prevailing environment of suspicion, fear, distrust and growing cynicism, all stakeholders have to shun their ideological differences and have to accept that our problems can be resolved only through dialogue and discussion and by making sustained sincere efforts towards promoting reconciliation and communal harmony.”

“I appeal to all the political parties in our state and to all those at the helm of various social, cultural, religious and other influential organisations, to ponder most seriously over what exactly has been gained from the endless turmoil,” he said.

The Governor said that people in the Valley have been facing continuing “difficulties and sufferings” on account of the recurring disturbances.

“Every call for a Hartal affects the functioning of public delivery systems, stoppage of transport, tourism, trade and business and closure of all educational institutions,” he said.

“The recurring unrest has most seriously affected the academic schedules and the future of our youth,” he said in his address to the gathering. It was also attended by former chief ministers Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, and Speaker Legislative Assembly Nirmal Singh besides advisors to Governor, and senior officers.

The Governor, who took the reins of Jammu and Kashmir following the fall of the PDP-BJP government on June 19, said, “It also needs being recognized that the activities of all those whose sole objective has been to stoke unrest have resulted only in branding our state with a negative profile which has discouraged tourism, external investments and adversely affected the economic advancement of the state.”

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