JAMMU: The Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir has shared its interim report with the five Associate Members in New Delhi, it is reliably learnt.
The report outlines allocation and boundaries of all 90 seats across Jammu and Kashmir. In earlier meeting on December 20, 2021, the Commission has only outlined the formula adopted for allocation of seven new seats.
All five Associate Members -three Lok Sabha MPs from National Conference and two from BJP -are currently in Delhi in connection with the ongoing session of Parliament.
The Delimitation Commission, headed by Justice (retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai has submitted its interim report to individual Associate Members in Delhi. The interim report is a mandatory exercise and it also responds to the objections raised by the members, if any, to the first such report shared by the Commission.
The Commission, headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai, held a meeting with its five associate members – MPs Farooq Abdullah, Akbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi of National Conference (NC) and Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishor of BJP – on December 20 in New Delhi and shared the draft proposal with them.
In the draft proposal discussed during its meeting in New Delhi with five associate members, the Commission had increased the number of Assembly seats in the Jammu region from 37 to 43 while in Kashmir the tally has been increased from 46 to 47.
Kashmir-based political parties have termed the draft proposal unacceptable.
Sources have told The Dispatch that in the interim report shared with the Associate Members in New Delhi Friday there is no change in the allocation of seven new seats. The interim report persists with 43 seats to Jammu region and 47 to the Kashmir Valley.
Now since a copy of the draft proposals prepared has been sent to each of the AMs and they may give a dissenting note in respect of any of the draft proposals if they so desire.
The draft proposals of the Commission shall then be published in the Gazette of India and the State Gazette of Jammu and Kashmir along with the dissenting notes, if any, submitted by the Associate Members and who desire publication thereof. These shall also be published at least in two regional newspapers. The CEO and DEOs will be directed to make copies of the notification containing the draft proposals available to all those who may ask for it. Widest publicity will be given through print and electronic media. A notice will also be issued specifying a date on or before which the public is requested to send their objections and suggestions to the proposals.
After the specified date, the suggestions and objections received will be tabulated and made into sets and distributed to all Members of the Commission including Associate Members.
After the last date for submitting suggestions and objections is over, the Commission will hold public sittings at one or more places in Jammu and Kashmir to hear the public in person. Wide publicity will be given to those sittings.
After hearing the public, the Commission will hold a final meeting attended by Associate Members (though they have no right to vote) to consider all suggestions received in writing as well as orally made at the public sittings and decide the modifications that are required to be made to the draft proposals and prepare a final order.
The final order thus prepared, both for assembly constituencies and parliamentary constituencies, will be signed by the full Commission and the Secretary to the Delimitation Commission will cause the final orders to be published in the Gazette and also in the newspapers. After the final orders are published, the President of India shall be requested to issue a notification specifying a date from which the said orders shall come into force. The copies of those orders shall also be laid before the House of the People and the State Legislative Assembly concerned, but no modification shall be permissible therein by them.
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