Panchayats non-functional in J&K, Ladakh: Centre

New Delhi, Feb 10: The Government of India informed the Lok Sabha that Panchayat elections have not been held in both Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh after the expiry of their respective tenures, leaving grassroots democratic institutions non-functional in both the Union Territories.
In a written reply, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, said that J&K currently has 276 elected representatives, including 95 women. “The tenure of Gram Panchayats and Block Panchayats ended in January 2024 and fresh elections are yet to be held,” it said.
Regarding Ladakh, the Centre informed that there are no elected Panchayat representatives at present, as the tenure of Panchayats ended in January 2024, and elections have not been held so far.
The Ministry clarified that the data shared pertains to elected representatives functioning in Gram Panchayats, Intermediate Panchayats and District Panchayats, as reported by States and Union Territories from time to time.
The Centre further stated that it does not maintain caste-based data, including information related to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe elected representatives.
The disclosure comes amid repeated demands from political parties and civil society groups for the early conduct of Panchayat elections in UT J&K and Ladakh to restore grassroots-level democracy. (KNO)