Srinagar: Government of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday appointed Block Development Officers (BDOs) as administrator(s) of Panchayats. The delegation of powers comes a day after term of 4291 Panchayats and 310 Block Development Councils (BDCs) ended.
“The term of Halqa Panchayat(s) has expired on 09.01.2024 and Government is satisfied that the Halqa Panchayat(s) cannot be constituted immediately. Now therefore in exercise of the powers by Section 9 of Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, the Government hereby appoints Block Development Officers (BDOs) as Administrator(s), for running the affairs of the Panchayat Halqas under their jurisdiction for a period of six months w.e.f 10.01.2024 or till further orders, whichever is earlier”, reads an order of which a copy lies with GNS.
Pertinently, after 77 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), two of them Corporations, term of 4291 Panchayats and 310 Block Development Councils (BDCs) ended on January 9.
There are a total of 310 BDCs and 4291 Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir. However, as per the officials, only 280 BDCs were fully in place. While Sarpanchs and Panchs completed their five-year term on January 9, the tenure of BDCs will abruptly come to an end the same day, nearly 10 months before scheduled completion of their term.
Five-year term of BDCs was scheduled to end in October 2024 but as per the Rules and Panchayati Raj Act, term of BDCs is co-terminus with the Panchayats and they too ceased to exist along with Panchayats on January 9.
Election to nearly 310 BDCs were held in October 2019 while that of polls to the Panchayats were conducted in November-December 2018 and the Panchayats were formally constituted on January 8, 2019.