New direction

The decision of the government to form an amendment in the panchayati raj act and to pave way for the elections to the district development councils has shown that it is the new direction being given by the central government.

For the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir in the recent past both centre and LG Manoj Sinha, have taken slew of measures to give a flip to the development and to provide a new direction to the schemes launched here.

The government has decided to go for district council election and also has decided to go for by elections of vacant panchayat seats in entire Jammu and Kashmir in order to provide ground development some push.

Earlier DDBs functioned as planning bodies, charting and formulating the district’s developmental plans. They functioned as working groups for the formulation of periodic and annual plans for the districts. All the funds provided by the government or any other agency, meant for the development of the district, would flow through the District Planning and Development Board as per the district plans.

The body used to meet once a year to deliberate and approve the district plans or oversee implementation of centrally sponsored schemes. Until 1998 the Deputy Commissioner of the district would head this committee, thereafter, elected members took charge of the body.

While the DDBs functioned under the chairmanship of a cabinet minister with MPS MLAs and MLC as members and the district’s Deputy Commissioner as its member secretary, the DDC will be headed by a chairman from among the elected representatives.