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Friday, Oct 29, 2004

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Panchayats to be dissolved in Jammu and Kashmir

By Aarti Dhar

SRINAGAR, OCT. 28 . The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to dissolve the panchayats and hold fresh elections to the Panchayati Raj institutions early next year. An announcement will be made in a few days.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the Fifth Round Table on Panchayati Raj, the Panchayati Raj Minister, Peerzada Mohammad Syed, said the Government was keen on holding panchayat elections in all the three regions at the earliest.

While the elections in the Jammu and Kashmir regions will be held either in January or February, in Ladakh these will be held in June due to difficult weather conditions, he said.

Panchayat elections in some parts of the State were held in 2001 under a separate J&K Panchayat Raj, 1989 Act but only 50 per cent of the 2,700 panchayats could become functional due to disturbed conditions.

"However, now that the situation has improved, elections to the entire State can be held," he said.

Since the term of the panchayats has not expired and there is no provision of dissolution, the Government had moved a bill in the last Assembly session to this effect.

As the bill could not be passed, an Ordinance was issued by the Governor that empowers the Government to dissolve the bodies.

Earlier, inaugurating the Round Table, the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said the panchayats were the backbone of any system and change can only be brought about by the common people.

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