Kargil, Sep 30: Authorities in Kargil have appointed Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers for the upcoming Panchayat elections in the district, advancing preparations for the electoral process in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

District Panchayat Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner Kargil Rakesh Kumar issued the notification under Rule 5 of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rules, 1996.

The Election Commission for Union Territories had approved the appointments on September 25. The decision was communicated through the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, UT Ladakh.

Officials from several government departments have been assigned election responsibilities across different Panchayat Halqas and blocks of Kargil. The departments include Horticulture, Public Works, Power Development, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Mechanical Engineering and Public Health Engineering, among others.

The notification details the Panchayat Halqas allocated to each Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officer, besides specifying the number of Panchayat constituencies, headquarters and locations for election-related duties.

The order has been circulated among concerned senior officials, including the Divisional Commissioner, senior officials of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, and the District Panchayat Officer, Kargil.

The appointments are part of the administrative arrangements being put in place ahead of the Panchayat elections in Kargil district.