Early Times Report
jammu, Feb 25: Even as three Lok Sabha members of the National Conference have boycotted the first meeting of the Delimitation Commission, members of the panel have decided to go-ahead with the work to complete the task assigned to them.
Reliable sources said that after the first meeting, members of the panel have already started the process to collect data about all regions and sub-regions J&K to make a draft proposal for new Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies.
"Population will not be the only criteria to redraw Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in Union Territory of J&K", sources said and added that the Delimitation Commission will go through all criteria before finalizing the draft proposal.
It is clearly mentioned in section 60 of the J&K Reorganization Act that population would not be the sole criteria to redraw new assembly segments. Population is one of the criteria, not the only component. "Area, terrain, geographical compactness, means of communication and allied sectors would also be taken into considerations while re-shaping assembly segments in J&K", sources said.
After the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has taken the initiatives to set-up a Delimitation Commission on UT of J&K, intense debate has been generated about criteria adopted by the proposed panel to determine new Assembly and Lok Sabha segments.
The Delimitation Commission has assigned the job to increase Assembly seats from 107 to 117. Panel has to increase seven seats while 24 seats are already reserved for the people of Pakistan occupied Jammu-Kashmir (POJK). |
