Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh currently have no elected representatives in their Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as the tenure of the previous bodies ended in December 2023, and fresh elections have not yet been conducted, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The elections for Panchayats in both Union Territories were due last year, but they remain pending. As a result, the governance of local bodies is currently without elected representatives.
Panchayats are responsible for implementing various government schemes related to rural development, employment, and infrastructure. The delay in elections means that these functions are being managed by administrative bodies instead of elected representatives.
The Ministry’s data also indicates that in other states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha, thousands of elected women sarpanches are leading local governance, while in J&K and Ladakh, the electoral process is yet to be completed.
The government has not yet provided a confirmed timeline for holding Panchayat elections in the two Union Territories—(KNO)
