Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Sep 29
The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed amendments to the municipal law, while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the government would hold Panchayat elections but gave no date for the polls.
Responding to BJP MLA R S Pathania during debate on the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Omar said the government would conduct the elections at an “appropriate time”.
He compared the government’s position on Panchayat elections with the BJP’s position on restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Our intention to hold the Panchayat Election is the same as that of your intention to return the statehood,” Omar said.
On the municipal legislation, Omar said the amendments were intended to remove inconsistencies in the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act, 2000.
One change removes a reference to five elected members in municipal areas with populations below 5,000, bringing it in line with another provision that sets seven as the minimum number of members.
The Bill also clarifies responsibility for municipal ward delimitation. Omar said the process had in practice been carried out by deputy commissioners and district administrations, while the existing law referred to both the deputy commissioner and the chief election officer.
The amendment removes the reference to the chief election officer and provides for delimitation by the deputy commissioner or another officer authorised by the government.
Omar rejected suggestions that the changes would expand the government’s powers and opposed referring the Bill to a committee, saying the amendments were intended only to resolve legal ambiguities.
The House later passed the Bill.
