Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir remains without elected panchayats and municipal bodies more than two years after their term ended in November 2023, as the administration has yet to act on a commission report recommending Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations in local wards. The delay has kept grassroots representative institutions in abeyance and prompted renewed calls from former office-bearers for timely polls.
Report submitted but not notified
The Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Dedicated Backward Classes Commission submitted its recommendations on 27 February 2025 to the Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, proposing OBC reservations in panchayat and local body wards in proportion to their population, according to ETV Bharat. The commission was headed by Justice (Retired) Janak Raj Kotwal, with RK Bhagat, a retired IAS officer, and Dr Mohinder Singh Bhadwal, former Dean of SKUAST Jammu, as members.
Despite the submission, the report has not been approved or notified by the government, and it remains in the Civil Secretariat under the rural development department pending cabinet clearance, ETV Bharat reported.
Political and administrative signals
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on August 14 said that local body elections would be held at "an appropriate time", a phrasing the report noted has been used by other political actors when discussing restoration of statehood and election timetables.
"an appropriate time"
There has been no formal timetable announced by the administration to consider and notify the commission’s recommendations, or to initiate the statutory steps needed for holding fresh panchayat and municipal elections.
Local demands and implications
Former panchayat representatives and civic activists have repeatedly urged the government to hold polls to restore elected local governance, saying that absence of elected bodies hampers transparency in fund utilisation and weakens local accountability. Since November 2023, when the terms of panchayat and municipal bodies lapsed, administration-appointed officials have been managing local functions.
- Key administrative action pending: approval and notification of the OBC reservation report by the Union Territory government.
- Principal recommendation: reservation for OBCs in panchayat and municipal wards according to population share.
- Consequences: absence of elected representatives at grassroot level and continued administration by nominated officials since November 2023.
Commission composition and mandate
The commission set up to examine reservations for Dedicated Backward Classes in local bodies was chaired by a retired judge and included two senior professionals from administrative and academic backgrounds. Its mandate covered assessment of population shares and the formulation of reservation rosters for panchayat and municipal wards across Jammu and Kashmir.
| Event | Date / Status |
|---|---|
| Expiry of panchayat/municipal terms | November 2023 |
| Submission of OBC reservation report | 27 February 2025 (to Chief Secretary) |
| Chief Minister's comment | 14 August 2026 – "an appropriate time" for local polls |
| Current status | Report pending approval/notification at Civil Secretariat |
Procedural steps before polls
For panchayat and municipal elections to proceed, the administration must first approve and notify the commission’s recommendations where statutory change is required, complete any necessary roster exercises for reserved seats, and instruct the State Election Commission to set an electoral schedule. The absence of notification prevents finalisation of ward rosters and reservation rosters, delaying the SEC’s ability to issue election notifications.
Until such administrative and legal steps are completed, the State Election Commission cannot conduct polls, and local governance will continue under administrative arrangements. The delay also raises questions about the timely utilisation of funds earmarked for local development under centrally and locally sponsored schemes, which elected bodies typically oversee when in office.
What stakeholders say
ETV Bharat reported that former panchayat representatives have made repeated appeals for elections to reinstate democratic representation at the grassroots. The government, while indicating that the matter is under consideration, has not set a clear timeline for cabinet approval or notification of the report.
Given the commission’s recommendations affect seat allocations and the composition of local representative institutions, stakeholders across rural and urban areas will be watching for administrative action that enables the State Election Commission to schedule elections and restore elected local bodies.
Reportedly, the matter remains at the Civil Secretariat’s rural development section awaiting formal government action.
