Municipal, panchayat polls nowhere in sight in Ladakh

Kargil, Nov 6: Municipal and panchayat polls are nowhere in sight in Ladakh.

The five year term of Municipalities and Panchayats in the UT ladakh will end this month and in January respectively. Earlier, elections for those were held in October-December 2018 when Ladakh was part of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh has only two Municipalities-one each in Leh and Kargil towns and 193 Panchayats-98 in Kargil and 95 in Leh.

The twin Municipalities have 13 Wards each. As against three-tier system of Panchayati Raj in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh has only two-tier system including Panchayats and Block Development Councils (BDCs). It does not have third tier i.e. the District Development Councils (DDCs) as Leh and Kargil already have Autonomous Hill Development Councils. Though, following appointment of former senior IAS officer of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir cadre as State Election Commissioner (SEC), for the Union Territory of Ladakh in September, there were certain developments that look the possibility that the administration may hold the elections in due time, however sources said that the UT administration will now go for the delimitation exercise for Leh and Kargil Municipalities for which a high level committee has been set up.

The extension of jurisdiction of the Common Election commissioner to Ladakh was seen as the first step towards holding Panchayat polls in the UT. The UT Administration of Ladakh has ordered delimitation exercise for Leh and Kargil Municipalities and number of their Wards are expected to go up from 13 to 17 with the increase in the population. Officials said delimitation of Panchayat Wards may also be ordered by the UT administration. This may also result in increase in number of Panchayats in the Union Territory. Official sources told Greater Kashmir that so far as the delimitation exercise has to be carried for which a high level committee has been set, adding that though the committee has not held any meetings yet. Official sources said that Union Territory is mulling to have its own Panchayati Raj Act--Ladakh Panchayat Election Act, for which process will be initiated soon. The first state election Commissioner for Ladakh Sudhanshu Pandey who last month chaired the maiden review meeting after taking over as the SEC stressed for having own Panchayat Raj Act for Ladakh.

During the meeting as per an official statement, State Election Commissioner stressed the formation of the Ladakh Panchayat Election Act as soon as possible. He emphasised that the Ladakh UT must come out with its own Panchayati Raj Act incorporated at the earliest for which the Commission and its team shall support the whole process to be concluded in a time-bound manner. Secretary Rural Development Department and Panchayati Raj, UT Ladakh Amit Sharma also stressed making amendments to laws/acts related to the panchayat election and stressed the formation of a new act on the Panchayat Election in Ladakh as per the issues and provisions based on populations of the region.