The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday amended the warrant of precedence placing the chairpersons of district development councils (DDCs) equivalent to administrative secretaries/inspectors general of police.
The DDC elections were held for the first time last year in J&K and the chairpersons of the DDCs in 20 districts of J&K were chosen by the elected DDC members.
According to the amended warrant of precedence, DDC chairpersons have been placed at serial 26 in the protocol list.
They are equivalent in status to administrative secretaries/IGPs, divisional commissioners, joint secretaries of the government of India and officers of equivalent rank.
Deputy chairpersons of DDCs have been placed at serial 27, equivalent to the vice chancellors of universities in the state/UT.
Members of the DDCs have been placed at serial 28, equivalent to block development council chairpersons, presidents of municipal committees, officers of the rank of brigadier in army, major heads of departments and the district and sessions judges.
The assigning of status to DDC chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and the members in the protocol list is part of the government's empowerment policy at the grassroots level to strengthen the Panchayati Raj system by making it effective and powerful.
The People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) swept the maiden DDC polls by winning 110 seats, while the BJP emerged as the single largest party by getting 74 seats after securing the largest vote share in Jammu and Kashmir.
The counting of votes for the 280 DDC constituencies – 14 each in 20 districts – started last month after the peaceful culmination of the eight-phase election from November 28 to December 19.
This was the first democratic exercise in Jammu and Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two union territories last year.
Out of the 276 seats for which results were declared by the J&K Election Commission so far, besides PAGD and BJP, Independent candidates have won 49, Congress 26, Apni Party 12, PDF and National Panthers Party two each and BSP one.
