Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday decided to hold panchayat elections in the state from February 15. This will be for the first time that such elections will be held in the state after two years.
The decisions to hold the grassroots elections was taken in a cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. She informed Governor N.N. Vohra about the decision and the dates of the polls.
“Chief Minister informed the Governor about several important matters about which the cabinet had taken decisions a few days back,'' an official spokesman said.
Vohra reiterated his concern about prompt redressal of people's grievances and proper functioning of the administrative system.
The last panchayat elections in the state were held in 2011 after a gap of 33 years when Omar Abdullah was Chief Minister of the NC-Congress coalition government.
Last year, panchayat elections were canceled due to the uprising triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani and two of his associates on July 8.
Vohra had last month promulgated an ordinance to speed up the process of holding panchayat polls in the state without further delay.
The polls in the state will be held on the non-party basis, though political parties covertly mobilise support for their favourite candidates.
