The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to confer massive powers to the recently constituted District Development Councils (DDCs) including all development related works in rural areas while the District Development and Planning Committees are likely to retain powers for finalization of annual plan of the district.
The Government has directed the Deputy Commissioners in Jammu and Kashmir to identity a total of 40 buildings for accommodation of chairpersons and vice chairpersons of the DDCs and 20 for offices of the Councils at the shortest possible time as the Rural Development Department is expected to come out with detailed functions and powers of the DDCs while the Hospitality and Protocol Department will release protocol of the DDC chairpersons, vice chairpersons and members, official sources told the Excelsior.
The Government has also initiated the exercise to post Additional District Development Commissioners (ADDCs) in the districts where these posts are lying vacant as they will serve as Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) to the DDCs. The exercise will be completed shortly, sources said.
They added that all functions, powers and protocol of the DDC chairpersons, vice chairpersons and members will be released by the Government within the next few days and it is expected that entire development of rural areas will go to the DDCs. However, the Block Development Council (BDC) chairpersons and Panchayats will continue to enjoy the powers designated to them already.
“The functions will ensure that all three tiers of the Panchayati Raj System work smoothly and without any confrontation with each other,” sources said.
While development of rural areas is likely to be vested with the DDCs, the district annual plan will be finalized by the District Development and Planning Committees which will be headed by the concerned Member of Parliament but will have the DDC chairpersons, vice chairpersons and heads of Urban Local Bodies of the district among others as their members.
“Powers of the DDCs and District Development and Planning Committees are in the last stage of finalization and will be issued shortly. While ADDCs will be CEOs to the DDCs, the District Development Commissioners will function as CEOs to the District Development and Planning Committees,” sources said.
Annual development plan of the districts from next financial year beginning April 1, 2021, is likely to be finalized by the new District Development and Planning Committees. The new Committees will be in place well before start of the next financial year of 2021-22 for finalization of the annual plans.
The Government has, meanwhile, directed all Deputy Commissioners to identify two buildings for residential accommodation and one for office purposes for the DDC in their concerned district.
“Every Deputy Commissioner has been asked to identify two Government buildings for residential purposes-one each for chairperson and vice chairperson and one for office of the DDC,” sources said, adding the DCs have been told that if no Government building is available they can hire the private accommodation.
There were indications that the DDC chairpersons could get the status of Minister while the DDC Members might be placed below the MLAs but above or equal to the Block Development Council chairpersons. However, the Hospitality & Protocol Department is engaged in finalization of protocol of the DDC chairpersons, vice chairpersons and members.
According to sources, the Jammu and Kashmir Government especially the Rural Development Department has studied various models of the District Development Councils across the country in the terms of functions and powers and best suited models will be implemented in the Union Territory to ensure that the DDCs function efficiently with maximum possible powers and there is no confrontation (on powers etc) with the Planning and Development Committees and the UT Government whenever it is in place after the Assembly elections.
In the term of protocol as well, the Hospitality & Protocol Department is expected to give maximum possible weightage to the DDC chairpersons, vice chairpersons and the members.
There are a total of 20 District Development Councils in Jammu and Kashmir-10 each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions and all of them have been constituted after the election of chairperson and vice chairperson. Each DDC comprised 14 members.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and National Conference have come to powers in six District Development Councils each followed by Independents in three, Apni Party in two and People’s Democratic Party, CPM and People’s Conference in one each.

Courtesy: Daily Excelsior : 01st March 2021