District Development Council

It was first introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 16 October 2020, fourteen months after the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked by the parliament of India on 5 August 2019, leading the government of India to limit the powers of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and to run the union territory under the union government's rule under a lieutenant governor.[2]

DDC supervises, implement, sponsor and prepare for five main fields such as welfare, health, education, finance, public works and development intended to ensure the community development of a representing district.

2020 DDC elections

The first DDC elections in the history of Jammu and Kashmir were held from 28 November 2020 in eight phases across the two-hundred and eighty DDC constituencies. People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) won 110 seats while BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 75 seats.[3] But later on 19th January, the JKPC left the PAGD, which brought down the PAGD's seat tally from 110 to 102, as JKPC had won 8 seats.[4]

2020 Jammu & Kashmir DDC Election Detailed Results

Alliance		Party		Seats	+/-	%
	PAGD
			JKNC	67	67
			JKPDP	27	27
			CPI(M)	5	5
			JKPM	3	3
			JKANC	0
	None		BJP	75	75
			Independents	50	50
			INC	26	26
			JKAP	12	12
			JKPC	8	8
			JKPDF(S)	2	2
			JKNPP	2	2
			BSP	1	1
Total				278/280	280	51.76%

Some of the opposition's leaders of Jammu and Kashmir were arrested under detention laws prior to the elections.[5]

The counting of votes in two DDC constituencies has been kept in abeyance as two of the candidates in them are reportedly from Azad Kashmir.[6]

DDC works jointly with District Planning Committee (DPC) and Block Development Council from each district. A council consists of fourteen members elected from the countryside and also from the built-up areas where needed or approved by the Election Commission of India. Its chairperson and vice-chairperson are selected by its members; however all the elected members, including chairperson and vice-chairperson are literally headed by a government revenue officer such as additional district development commissioner.[7]

Since it works jointly with the other committees or councils, a jurisdiction's DDC consists of a member of parliament, member of state legislator, chairperson of town hall or municipal committee, and the president of a municipal corporation.[7]

• To formulate, prepare, approve a plan or capital expenditure for respective districts
• To organize general meetings after every three months designed to suggest a new plan or to process pending plans
• To supervise the activities of gram panchayats, Block Development Council and panchayat samiti in its own jurisdiction at district-level
• To utilize the development aid or government funds for the development of an entire district
• To implement the schemes sponsored by the government of India
• To receive the district development plans compiled and formulated by the Block Development Council and submit it to the District Planning Committee "for adherence to the government guidelines, norms and rules"[7]

• "J&K goes to DDC polls, first time after Article 370 abrogation. All you need to know". Hindustan Times. 28 November 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.