As terms of Municipal Corporarions, ULBs near end in J&K; powers likely to shift to executive

1 November 2023

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Srinagar, Nov 1: The Jammu & Kashmir Government has said that the terms of members and duration of municipal bodies shall expire after a lapse of five years from the date appointed for their first meeting.

J&K’s Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has communicated to the Housing & Urban Development Department that the relevant and reckoning date for computation of five years of term of the members of the Corporations, Councils and Committees and their duration shall be the date appointed for their first meeting.

In its opinion, the Law Department has cited section 13 and section 14 of The Jammu & Kashmir Municipal Act, 2000 and section 5(1) The Jammu & Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act, 2000.

The five-year term of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) is coming to an end on November 05, while the terms of other urban local bodies (ULBs) in Kashmir would end between October 28 to December 26.

As the terms of these bodies come to an end, with no elections in sight, their powers are likely to shift to the executive – Commissioners of Corporations and Block Development Officers in case of Panchayats, etc.

The end of the tenure of urban local bodies’ means that the term of all corporators/councilors, including those elected in bye-elections, is also over. The mayors, presidents, vice-presidents, corporators/ councilors of urban local bodies would no longer be entitled to perks, privileges and honorarium.

According to documents, the tenure of municipal committee Kupwara would culminate on Thursday (November 02) while the terms of Langate and Handwara municipalities would end on November 18.

In North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the term of elected representatives in Baramulla municipal council ends on November 09, while the five-year term of Sopore municipality culminates on November 04.

The term of four other ULBs-Kunzer, Pattan, Uri and Watergam- also ends on November 04.

As per documents, the term of president, vice -president and councilors of municipal committee Bandipora ends on November 02. The tenure of representatives of Hajin and Sumbal municipalities ends on November 18, 2023.

In Budgam districts, the tenure of all the municipal committees including Budgam, Chadoora,Chrar-e-Sharief, Khan Sahib and Magam ends on November 12.

In South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, the term of municipal council Anantnag and municipal committee Achabal came to end on October 28 ,while the tenures of representatives in municipal committees including Ashmuqam, Mattan, Pahalgam, Bijbehara and Qazigund ends on November 14.

According to official data, the term of representatives in Dooru-Verinag municipal committee came to end today while that of Kokernag on October 31.

The term of elected representatives in Kulgam and Devsar municipal committees came to end on October 29, while in Yaripora, the term is ending on November 04, 2023.

The term of elected representatives in Pampore municipal committee is ending on December 26, while the tenure of Tral municipality is coming to an end on November 29.

The term of the lone municipality in Shopian came to end on October 29, while the duration of Ganderbal ULB would end on November 08. —(KNO)