Govt freezes boundaries of all administrative units in J&K UT

JAMMU: Government has issued orders for freezing the boundaries of all the administrative units in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir till the completion of Census 2021 as a result of which several discrepancies persisting during the past quite long time are likely to remain unaddressed for unspecified period.

On the instructions of the Lieutenant Governor and in exercise of the powers conferred by Clause IV of Rule 8 of the Census Rules, 1990 and in supersession of earlier notification in this regard, the Government hereby freezes the boundaries of districts, tehsils, municipalities, towns, revenue villages and other administrative units in the whole of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir with effect from March 31, 2021 till the completion of Census 2021, read the notification issued by Planning, Development and Monitoring Department.

The Clause-IV of Rule 8 empowers the State Governments and Union Territory Administration to freeze the administrative boundaries from the date to be intimated by the Census Commissioner which shall not be earlier than one year from the census reference date and till the completion of the census.

With this development, no change can be made in the boundaries of the administrative units although discrepancies exist in many areas ever since the creation of eight new districts—four in Jammu and four in Kashmir in the year 2006 and Sub-Divisions and Tehsils etc in the subsequent years, sources told EXCELSIOR.

Like other States and Union Territories in the country, the Registrar General of India in the month of July 2020 had given the opportunity to the Government of J&K UT for redefining the boundaries of the administrative units on the basis of representations, if any, received from the people.

As due to outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the field work of Phase-I of Census 2021 and other related activities had to be postponed, the date of freezing of boundaries was extended up to December 31, 2021 and the request was made to ensure that the proposals for making any change in the boundaries of the existing districts, tehsils, villages and towns including those which may be taken up in near future are finalized and given effect before December 31, 2020.

Owing to conditions prevailing due to COVID-19 pandemic, the time period for conducting the ensuing census could not be decided and accordingly the date of freezing of boundaries was further extended up to March 31, 2021.

“It would be highly appreciative if you could issue necessary instructions to all the concerned in your UT to give effect to the changes in the administrative boundaries, if any, latest by March 31, 2021 and send the copies of notifications on jurisdictional changes to concerned Directorate of Census Operations in the UT with endorsement to this office”, Registrar General of India had conveyed to the Chief Secretary of J&K on January 22, 2021.

However, no such proposal was forwarded to the Registrar General or Directorate of Census Operations within the specified period although boundaries related issues especially in respect of eight districts-Kishtwar, Ramban, Reasi, Samba, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kulgam and Shopian are still existing and people are demanding exclusion of their areas from the present district and inclusion in the adjoining district on several justifiable grounds, sources said.

“Such issues also exist in respect of several Panchayats, Sub-Divisions and Tehsils in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir”, they further said, adding “with the freezing of boundaries of all the administrative units such issues will remain unresolved for the unspecified period as no date has yet been finalized for the conclusion of Census 2021 keeping in view resurfacing of Novel Coronavirus cases”.

It is pertinent to mention here that last Census was conducted in the year 2011 and fresh exercise is being conducted after a decade as per the Census Rules, 1990. (Daily Excelsior)