Notwithstanding the ground hostilities to the conduct of local polls in Jammu & Kashmir, the Governor’s administration on Tuesday elaborated a comprehensive plan to hold the polls by bringing in 400 extra companies of Central security forces and ensuring safety of the contestants. The Government would also pay a month’s extra salary to the employees involved in the conduct of the polls while the enhancement in remuneration of special police officers would be announced shortly.
The administration emphasised that the elections were necessitated to prevent loss of a whopping Rs 4,335 cr for grassroots level development that is channeled through urban local bodies and panchayats.
Addressing a press conference here, Chief Secretary BVR Subramanyam said that the elections would be held according to the schedule issued by the Chief Electoral Officer and adequate security plan has been devised to ensure safety and security of candidates. He said the candidates can be provided secure hotel rooms in capital Srinagar, Anantnag and Baramulla should they require any protection.
He said a whopping amount of Rs 4,335 crore will be devolved to the Urban and Rural Local Bodies for developmental activities immediately after the conclusion of the poll process. “This huge chunk of funds allocated to the State under the 14th Finance Commission award has been withheld as no elected Urban and Rural Local Bodies are in place in the State,” he said. He said the Government is initiating some far-reaching changes in J&K Panchayti Raj Act to make the rural elected bodies more powerful decision-making entities with extended reach.
He said there are 4,490 panchayats in the state and as many Sarpanches are to be elected. The total number of Panchs in the State will be 35,000. “There will be around 39,500 elected representatives in these Panchayats,” he said adding 79 urban local bodies and about 1200 wards — 600 each in Jammu & Kashmir region would get representatives through the elections.
He said that adequate security arrangements have been put in place for the smooth conduct of polls and 400 additional companies of paramilitaries are reaching Kashmir for election related security arrangements.
Subrahmanyam said there was no link between the timing of holding panchayat elections in the State and deferment of hearing of the PIL challenging Article 35-A before the Supreme Court.
“There have been multiple postponements of the hearings of Article 35-A in the Supreme court before and after the panchayat elections were announced,” the Chief Secretary said. “It is just accidental that the case is listed in January and the panchayat elections are to be completed before that.”
He said the Governor’s administration is going to be consistent in its stand before the apex court that an elected State Government should fight the case.
“The stand of the governor’s administration is going to be consistent in the Supreme Court that there are many serious complex issues which have to be discussed as far as Article 35-A is concerned and these should not be discussed when Governor’s rule is in place,” he asserted. He was responding to the question seeking an answer about why Governor’s administration is not discovering a new reason for hearing in the PIL other than 35A.
“These should be discussed when an elected Government is in place, which will take a solid position in the Supreme Court. So, there is absolute clarity that Governor’s rule is not about deciding Article 35-A,” he said.
The Chief Secretary said the employees who will perform poll duty will get an additional one month salary. He said this is unprecedented and has not been done anywhere across India, so far.
Besides, the Chief Secretary said the Government is considering a hike in the wages of Special Police officers working in Jammu & Kashmir in next few days.
Offering details of the security situation in which some SPOs were recently killed, the Chief Secretary said: “The resignations compared to total number of SPOs who are above 30,000 is negligible.” He said all the SPO’s have been instructed about their security.
Subrahmanyam said that problems of security restricted to only certain areas in South Kashmir and in the north and central Kashmir situation are not worrying.
Asked about the post-election security plan for the candidates, Subrahmanyam said, “We have even plans for those who win as they will be at a higher risk.” Asked about the voters’ security, the Chief Secretary said: “That is being handled on the law and order front. There are threats… we are confident that we can handle it.”
Asked if holding polls was prudent in view of the boycott by two major political parties in the valley, he said there was no question of thrusting the elections on the people.
“There is a lot of enthusiasm on the ground. Two national parties (the BJP and the Congress) are participating. If you go to Jammu, you will see the street-level campaigning,” he added.
Subrahmanyam said more than 700 forms have been taken by prospective candidates for the first phase of urban local bodies, which will be held on October 8. The last date for filing nomination for the first phase is Tuesday.