SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir government has told the Legislative Assembly that no specific timeline can be indicated at present for elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), saying the process remains at the preparatory stage and the statutory authority to conduct and schedule the polls rests with the State Election Commission (SEC).
The position was conveyed by the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department in reply to a question raised by Dooru MLA Ghulam Ahmad Mir on the status of Panchayat elections and administrative arrangements in the absence of elected PRIs.
The department said the terms of all three tiers — Halqa Panchayats, Block Development Councils (BDCs) and District Development Councils (DDCs) — had expired, with the terms of Panchayats and BDCs ending on January 9, 2024.
Following the expiry of the terms, Block Development Officers were appointed as administrators for six months from January 10, 2024, under the relevant government order.
The election process was subsequently linked to changes in the reservation framework. The Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Act, 2024, notified by the Government of India on February 12, 2024, extended reservation benefits to Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
A Dedicated Backward Classes Commission was constituted in June 2024 to conduct an empirical inquiry into the representation of backward classes. Its tenure was subsequently extended and it submitted its final report on February 27, 2025.
The department said the terms of the DDCs subsequently expired in February 2026.
Thereafter, the SEC, through an order dated March 25, 2026, revised the schedule for Panchayat electoral rolls and fixed April 1, 2026, as the qualifying date.
The SEC is currently undertaking preparatory exercises, including revision of Panchayat electoral rolls and processes related to delimitation and reservation for local bodies.
Asked whether the government proposed to complete the process within a time-bound framework to restore elected grassroots institutions, the department said it did not have the statutory authority to conduct, schedule or control Panchayat elections.
It cited Section 36(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, under which the preparation of electoral rolls and the superintendence, direction and control of elections are vested with the SEC.
The department said it would provide necessary administrative and logistical assistance to the SEC whenever required.
In a supplementary reply, the department reiterated that the process of restoring elected PRIs remained at the preparatory stage.
It said the SEC had already initiated revision of Panchayat electoral rolls through its March 25, 2026, order, with April 1, 2026, as the qualifying date.
“The requisite preparatory exercises relating to electoral rolls and other election-related processes are being undertaken by the State Election Commission, J&K,” the department said.
On the timeline for elections, however, the department said the matter fell within the statutory domain of the SEC and “no specific election timeline can be indicated at this stage.”
The department said it would continue to take necessary administrative measures within its mandate to facilitate the functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions and ensure continuity of developmental activities during the interim period.
The government also provided details of financial arrangements for PRIs during the period when elected institutions were in place and after their terms expired.
It said that when elected PRIs were functional, financial ceilings were fixed at approximately ₹23 lakh per Halqa Panchayat annually, around ₹25 lakh per BDC and about ₹10 crore per DDC, translating into roughly ₹71.42 lakh per DDC constituency.
After the expiry of the elected terms, the direct ₹23-lakh allocation per Halqa Panchayat was reduced.
For the financial year 2026-27, funds for DDC/BDC works have been capped at ₹271.25 crore, while PRI grants have been capped at ₹643.50 crore, in addition to ₹380 crore under the Capex Development Fund (CDF).
The government’s response leaves the timing of the next Panchayat elections open, with the electoral roll, delimitation and reservation exercises still under way.
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