Discusses security situation, reshuffle in admin, recently held DDC polls
Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar Dec 31: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Singh Wednesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to discuss the prevailing situation and recently held District Development Council elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
This was Sinha’s first meeting with Shah since the DDC polls were held in Jammu and Kashmir.
A source privy to the meeting told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) that Lieutenant Governor briefed Union Home Minister about the prevailing situation in the Union Territory.
“Sinha briefed him about security scenario in J&K and measures being taken by the administration to bring the peace here. They also discussed the COVID-19 situation since the outbreak of the pandemic in March this year,” the source said.
Similarly, according to source, both discussed about the transfer of top officers in administration and police. “Transfer of top officers is on the cards which were discussed in the meeting.”
The source said Home Minister appreciated the J&K administration for conducting peaceful recently held DDC polls. “Sinha briefed him about measures being taken to empower Panchayats and DDCs in J&K,” the source said.
The DDC polls were held over eight phases from November 28 and to December 19 as 51 per cent of the 57 lakh eligible voters exercised their franchise in the elections.
The DDC election assumed significance as it was the first electoral exercise after the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two union territories with the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
Unlike in the previous elections, people voted in large numbers. While BJP says that normalcy is returning to Kashmir so people voted in large numbers but parties part of Gupkar Alliance claim that people’s larger participation was to defeat the BJP candidates because there is “anger among people against abrogation of Article 370”.
The DDC election will facilitate the formation of all the three tiers of Panchayati Raj system of rural governance– Panchayat, Block Development Council (BDC) and DDC. The DDCs will be elected for a five-year term.
