The Election Commission of India is “encouraged” by high voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir and will move towards holding assembly polls in the Union Territory “at the earliest”, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar has said.In a first such statement, the CEC told ET that ECI was “heartened” and “more confident” of holding polls in the Union Territory and would start work on it right after the Lok Sabha elections.”The commission is encouraged to go for assembly polls in the Union Territory at the earliest possible. For the same, the process will be initiated soon after parliamentary elections,” Kumar told ET.”While I would like to thank the electors of J&K for coming out to vote, they have also sent out a clear message. The people of J&K are eager to exercise their franchise and feel invested in the democratic ethos and system of governance. The poll panel is deeply encouraged by the voter turnout in Lok Sabha polls and will work towards holding assembly polls at the earliest,” he said.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesThe CEC’s reaction came hours after Baramulla parliamentary constituency reported a record turnout on Monday. Phase 4 turnout in Srinagar constituency at 38.49% was highest in many decades.In his March 16 press conference when schedules for Lok Sabha elections were announced, CEC had asserted that ECI was committed to holding assembly polls in J&K soon after the parliamentary polls and before the September 30 deadline set by the Supreme Court.
Tag: Union Territory
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Never seen State becoming Union Territory: Farooq Abdullah – The Economic Times Video
Addressing one day Gujjar & Bakarwal conference at National Conference Office, Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on January 17 said that he had never witnessed a state becoming a union territory. He had only seen a union territory becoming a state.While addressing the conference, Farooq Abdullah said, “I have never witnessed a state becoming a union territory. I have only seen a union territory becoming a state…During my time, there was such a rush at the secretariat. But now, there is nobody to listen (to the problems). This can be changed only by you i.e. the Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians living here…”
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First assembly polls in sight, Congress set to replace its J-K chief
Express News Service
SRINAGAR: In a bid to end factionalism and revive the party ahead of first Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, the Congress is looking to replace its J&K Congress chief, Ghulam Ahmed Mir.
Sources said meetings of party leaders were held in New Delhi to discuss the change. In the meetings, AICC general secretary (org) KC Venugopal, in-charge J&K Rajni Patil and Mir, discussed the probable names to take up the post.
Six names three each from Kashmir and Jammu — are said to be under consideration for the post in J&K Congress, which is ridden with factionalism. While Vikar Rasool, G M Saroori and Manohar Lal are the candidates from Jammu, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Tariq Hamid Karra and Ghulam Nabi Monga are in the race from Kashmir.
The party may prefer a leader from Jammu region in view of the changed political scenario and increase of seven Assembly seats in the region after the revocation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K state in 2019. According to sources, Rasool, a former minister, is the top favourite as he is accepted by all and is also close to former J&K chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
He was one among the dissident J&K Congress leaders who had written a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi seeking Mir’s removal. Mir was appointed to the post in 2014. During his tenure, the party did not fare well in 2014 Assembly polls and he himself lost the parliamentary election from the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in 2019.
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Mehbooba accuses Jammu and Kashmir admin of ignoring inputs about target killings in Kashmir
By PTI
JAMMU: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti claimed on Tuesday that the Jammu and Kashmir administration had prior information about attacks on minority community members but ignored the inputs to provide security to Union ministers, who came here to amplify the BJP’s “fake narrative and propaganda” about normalcy in the Union Territory.
At least seven people have been killed by terrorists this month in the Kashmir valley. Of those killed, four belonged to minority communities and six of the deaths were reported from Srinagar.
Mufti also claimed that 700 civilians were arrested in the aftermath of the recent killings with the intention to “shift the blame and absolve themselves”.
“J&K admin had prior information about attacks on minorities. Yet they chose to ignore these inputs. Instead they were busy providing security to Union Ministers who were brought to Kashmir to amplify BJP’s fake narrative & propaganda of so called normalcy in J&K,” she wrote on Twitter.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister is on a five-day tour of the Chenab valley region. During her visit, she has addressed PDP workers’ conventions at different places since Sunday. “Not taking responsibility & arresting 700 civilians shows their intention to shift blame & absolve themselves. Collective punishment & humiliation of an entire population has become the one size fits all approach to resolve problems caused due to GOI’s punitive policies,” Mufti said in another tweet.
Two teachers — Supinder Kaur, a Srinagar-based Sikh, and Chand, a Hindu from Jammu — were killed two days after The Resistance Force, a shadow outfit of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the deaths of three people on October 5.
Makhan Lal Bindroo, a prominent Kashmiri Pandit and the owner of Srinagar’s most famous pharmacy, was shot dead at his shop that evening. Minutes later, a “chaat” vendor, Virendra Paswan from Bihar, was gunned down elsewhere in the city.
Around the same time, another civilian, Mohammad Shafi Lone, was killed at Naidkhai in Bandipora. On October 2, militants shot dead Majid Ahmad Gojri at Srinagar’s Karan Nagar locality and Mohammad Shafi Dar at the city’s Batamaloo area.
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No proposal to grant full statehood to Lakshadweep, Parliament told
By PTI
NEW DELHI: There is no proposal for granting full statehood to the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, the government informed Parliament Wednesday.Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said this in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
He was asked if the government has considered granting full statehood to Lakshadweep and what steps was it taking to increase the participation of the people of Lakshadweep in the democratic process.
“No such proposal for full statehood for the Union Territory of Lakshadweep is under consideration,” the minister stated.
Adequate institutional arrangements exist for the expression of the democratic aspirations of the people in thinly populated union territories such as Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, he said.
“People residing in the UTs elect their Members of Parliament to the Lok Sabha,” Rai stated.
He further added in his reply that the UTs of Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu also have “a robust two-tier panchayati raj system with village and district panchayat bodies, through which people’s participation in the democratic process is ensured”.
In Lakshadweep, extensive delegation of powers and functions has been made to the local bodies, he said.
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Prime Minister will start health plan for Jammu and Kashmir today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday will launch the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Health for Jammu and Kashmir under Ayushman Bharat Yojana. This scheme is also known as PM-Jai. A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said that the Prime Minister will launch Ayushman Bharat PM-Jai Health in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir through video conference on December 26 at 12 noon. Will be included. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha will also be present on the occasion. The statement said that this scheme provides free insurance cover to all the people living in the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory.
Under this, all residents of Jammu and Kashmir will be provided financial cover of Rs 5 lakh per family on floater basis. According to the statement, about 15 lakh additional families will benefit from PM-Jai’s operational expansion. This scheme will operate in conjunction with PM-Jai on insurance mode. The benefit of this scheme can be availed anywhere throughout the country.
Hospitals listed under PM-JAY scheme will also provide services under this scheme. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) encompasses the entire spectrum of health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and essential, quality health services and medical care. Through this, everyone has access to services, people do not have to pay for health services out of their own pocket and reduce the risk of people getting caught in the morass of poverty due to treatment.
The two pillars of the Ayushman Bharat program – Health and Welfare Centers and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana – envisage universal health coverage.