Jammu: In a significant development, the Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Dedicated Backward Classes Commission submitted its final recommendations to the government here on Thursday.
The report, which was presented to Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo in the presence of Mohammad Aijaz Asad, Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, is expected to highlight the objectives laid down at the time of the committee’s formation, an official spokesperson said.
The commission, headed by Justice (retired) Janak Raj Kotwal, a former judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, with former IAS officer R K Bhagat and former dean of the SKUAST-Jammu Mohinder Singh Badwal as members, was formed to determine reservation quotas for the Other Backward Classes (OBC).
The commission’s term officially ended on December 31, 2024. However, its tenure was extended till February 28 for the accomplishment of the complete work.
The commission was constituted for the purpose of conducting empirical studies on OBC representation, engaging with stakeholders and recommending proportional reservations in urban and rural local bodies.
During its tenure, the commission analysed records, surveys and census data to determine the OBC population share and their representation in the local bodies’ governance structure.
The panel sought data inputs from government departments, institutions and experts, held consultations with researchers and conducted field visits across Jammu and Kashmir to ensure a comprehensive assessment, before submitting its report to the government.
The Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Dedicated Backward Classes Commission was established on June 11, 2023, in compliance with the Supreme Court rulings in the K Krishnamurthy Vs Union of India (2010) and Vikas Krishna Rao Gawli Vs Maharashtra (2021) cases.
Currently, the municipal bodies, panchayats and block development councils in Jammu and Kashmir are without elected representatives for more than a year.
The term of the municipalities ended in October-November 2023, while the panchayats and block development councils completed their five-year term on January 9, 2024.
In the recent electoral history of Jammu and Kashmir, the three phases of the panchayat elections, including the halqa panchayat polls (November 2018), block development council elections (October 2019) and district development council elections (November-December 2020), were successfully conducted, leading to significant devolution of power in terms of funds, functions and functionaries, strengthening the grassroots democracy.
