Srinagar, Jan 27 : The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday stated that the current five-year term of the elected District Development Councils (DDCs) will officially end on February 24, 2026.
According to an official order issued by the General Administration Department and accessed by news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS), the term of the Councils is set to conclude on the aforementioned date.
The order, citing a legal opinion from the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, clarifies that the tenure is governed by the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rules, 1996.
“Kind attention is invited towards the captioned subject. In this regard, it is to inform that as per the opinion rendered by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, citing relevant provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rules, 1996 (Sub-Rule (2) and (3) of Rule 108ZP), the term of the DDCs commences from the date of issuance of the notification constituting the Councils (February 25, 2021). Accordingly, the Councils shall cease to exist with effect from February 24, 2026,” the order reads.
The government has directed concerned authorities to inform the respective Chairpersons and members of the DDCs in their districts about the completion of the term.
The order has been issued by Vilender Kumar Bhat, Under Secretary to the Government.
Notably, The DDCs, a key third tier of the grassroots democratic framework in Jammu and Kashmir, were constituted for the first time following elections held in November-December 2020. (KNS)
