SRINAGAR: The J&K administration on Monday notified 280 territorial constituencies –14 each in the 20 districts of the Union Territory – as part of a delimitation exercise to create the framework for elected district development councils (DDCs) under the amended Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act.
"After incorporating all the changes in respect of the objections/recommendations which have been accepted, the Election Authority hereby notifies the delimitation of District Development Councils in terms of Rule 108-B," states the notification issued by chief electoral officer Hirdesh Kumar.
The draft delimitation proposal had been put in the public domain by the deputy commissioners of all 20 districts for suggestions/objections till October 23.
Subsequently, a committee each headed by the DC and comprising the deputy district election officer, assistant commissioners of development and revenuem and the district panchayat officer was constituted to examine the merit of the objections.
The Union home ministry had earlier this month amended the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act to set up DDCs to replace the district development boards that used to be chaired by cabinet ministers, ministers of state, MLAs, MLCs or MPs.