AC amends J&K Panchayati Raj Act to incorporate reservation for OBCs

Jammu, Dec 28: The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha approved carrying out amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 to incorporate the definition of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the act for ensuring their reservation in this grassroots democratic institution.

An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that earlier the draft J&K Panchayati Raj Act (Amendment) Bill 2023 was submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India (GoI) and observations raised by the MHA were examined and necessary amendments incorporated in the revised draft J&K Panchayati Raj Act (Amendment) Bill.

The Amendment Bill proposes the incorporation of the definition of OBCs for providing reservation for the OBCs, explaining a method of disqualification from membership of Halqa Panchayat, suspension and removal of Sarpanch, Naib-Sarpanch, and Panch by the government.

It also defines the process for removal and conditions of service of the State Election Commissioner (SEC) here.

The proposed amendments aim to make the J&K Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 more effective by ensuring transparency in the functioning of PRIs, constitutional alignment and consistency with practices in other states where reservation has been provided to the OBCs apart from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

Advisor to LG Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar; Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo; and Principal Secretary to LG Mandeep K Bhandari also attended the meeting.