Rules modified to enable quota for SC, ST and women in DDC in J-K

Jammu and Kashmir ministration on Saturday amended Panchayati Raj rules, making provision for reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women in district development councils.

"In exercise of powers conferred by section 80 of Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 and all or provisions enabling in this behalf, Government of Jammu and Kashmir has me amendments in Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rules, 1996," an official spokesman said.

As per a tification issued here by Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, after sub-rule (3) of rule 108-A, sub-rule “(3A)" has been inserted.

Under this, number of constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and women for each District Development Council (DDC) shall be fixed on basis of prescribed ratio under section 45-A of Act for each category and applying principles of mamatic round off with part fraction of 0.5 and above being rounded off to one and part fraction below 0.5 being igred for each constituency separately.

number of seats reserved for Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste as provided in Rule 3A shall be allotted to different territorial constituencies based on proportion of Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste population to total population of constituency in descending order, tification said.

From amongst territorial constituencies in District Development Council, territorial constituency having largest proportion of Scheduled Tribes population shall be allotted to m and territorial constituencies having largest proportion of Scheduled Caste population shall be allotted to m.

In subsequent elections, allotment shall be me so that as far as may be practicable, territorial constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribes in previous election shall t be allotted to Scheduled Tribes.

Also, territorial constituency reserved for Scheduled Castes shall t be allotted to Scheduled Castes, tification said.

Centre h earlier modified 1989 law for setting up DDC under three-tier Panchayati Raj system and h said that elections to local bodies in J-K will be held soon.

allocation of constituencies to be reserved for women shall be me on a three-point roster system for each category separately of Women (Open Category), Women (Scheduled Caste Category) and Women (Scheduled Tribe Category), tification said.

Also, Sub-rule (1) of rule 74 has been substituted  to re: "Every candidate who desires to contest election of Sarpanch/Panch of Halqa Panchayat/Elected Member in District Development Council/Chairperson of Panchayati alat/ Chairperson, Block Development Council/Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of District Development Council shall have to take an oath as per “Form 4” of rules before prescribed authorities."            In rule 74-A, in sub-rule (1), words chairman and vice chairman of Block Development Council have been substituted by “chairperson of Block Development Council/Member of District Development Council/Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of District Development Council”.