JAMMU, Aug 5: Fifth Finance Commission for Union Territories will be reviewing the role of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh during their visit to the two Union Territories, with top officers of Finance, Rural and Housing and Urban Development Department in Kashmir and later in Leh and Kargil districts, beginning tomorrow.
The high-level review meeting on functioning of PRIs and ULBs for Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled to be held in Srinagar tomorrow while the meetings of Ladakh will be held at Kargil and Leh. In Leh, the Commission will also meet Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Brig (Retd) BD Mishra and tour a village covered under Vibrant Village Programme of the Central Government.
The Commission officers visiting Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh comprised Anil Kumar Jha, Chairman, Amey Sapre, Member and Binay Bhushan, Secretary. At Leh, they will also be joined by another Member Prashant Goyal, who will fly directly there from New Delhi for review.
At Srinagar tomorrow, the Finance Commission will be meeting the Administrative Secretaries of Finance, Housing and Urban Development and Rural Development Departments to discuss the issues pertaining to PRIs and ULBs. The Panchayats, Block Development Councils (BDCs) and ULBs ceased to exist in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh between November 2023 to January 2024 in the absence of fresh elections to the bodies.
The elections were delayed due to grant of reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) for which a Commission has been constituted by the Government.
The issues to be reviewed by the Finance Commission include role of PRIs and ULBs in implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Central Sector Schemes, SFC report of Jammu and Kashmir which recommended devolution to local bodies or erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir that included Local Bodies of Ladakh region, allocation of funds between Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh after reorganization of the State of J&K in 2019 and recommendations on transfer of funds to the Local Bodies.
Allocation of grants recommended by 14th and 15th Union Finance Commission between Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh during their award period and the status of grants after Ladakh became a UT without Legislature and general functioning of ULBs and PRIs in Ladakh prior to reorganization of the State of J&K.
In the Union Territory of Ladakh, the Finance Commission will have separate meetings with the local officers including Deputy Commissioners, Municipal Committees and visit to some Panchayats in Leh and Kargil districts.
They will have a separate meeting with Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Brig (Retd) BD Mishra before their return to New Delhi on August 12. They are also scheduled to meet Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor and officers of different departments in Leh.
They will visit a Panchayat as well as a village covered under Vibrant Village Programme in Leh district and development project sites including at Nubra and Pangong.
Last election to Panchayats and Municipalities were held from October to December 2018 in undivided State of J&K when Ladakh was also a division of J&K besides Jammu and Kashmir. However, on August 5, 2019, the Central Government divided the erstwhile State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh after abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution of India granting special status to J&K.
The elections to the two local bodies were due in October-November 2023 but were deferred as the Central and J&K Government wanted to give reservation to OBCs in both the bodies. An amendment for the purpose was carried out in the Parliament this year. Few days back, the J&K Government set up OBC Commission to fix percentage of reservation in Panchayats and Municipalities.
Elections to the Panchayats and Municipalities are expected to be held after the OBC Commission submits its report to the Government.
The BDCs ceased to exist along with Panchayats as their term was co-terminus.
