Nasir Azam
Srinagar, Aug 27: After collecting data from Jammu & Kashmir, the Delimitation Commission constituted by the Government of India would soon hold deliberations with associate members from the UT.
Highly placed sources told news agency KNO that the three-member panel headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice(retd) Ranjana Desai would soon start the process of deliberations with associate members to expedite the process.
“The commission is expected to hold meeting with associate members from Jammu and Kashmir,” they said, adding that National Conference has already decided to boycott the process.
“This Delimitation Commission is a product of the J&K Re-organisation Act 2019, which NC is challenging both in and outside the Supreme Court. Participating in this Commission will be tantamount to accepting the events of August 5, 2019, which the NC is unwilling to do,” the party had said.
The Lok Sabha Speaker had nominated five MPs— Dr Farooq Abdullah, Justice(retd) Hasnain Masoodi and Muhammad Akbar Lone, Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma — as associate members of the panel.
The Delimitation Commission is mandated to fix boundaries of 90 Assembly seats and reserve seats for Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes.
Sources said that office of J&K’s Chief Electoral Officer has submitted all data sought by the delimitation panel.
“We have submitted details like population data, administrative units, maps of constituencies to the panel,” an official disclosed.
The Delimitation Commission, which was constituted on March 6, 2020, has time till March 5, 2021.
“The appointment of Justice (Retd.) Ranjana Prakash Desai shall be for a period of one year from the date of the publication of this notification in the Official Gazette or till further orders, whichever is earlier,” read the notification issued by Union Law Ministry.
