According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Election Commission of India has the authority to decide when elections will take place in Jammu and Kashmir and that conducting elections in J&K will be a priority of the Election Commission.
Nityanand Rai, a minister of state in MHA, responded in writing to a question about the timeline for returning the situation in Kashmir to normal so that the democratic process could begin in the Valley. He said the government had established a delimitation commission, which had notified Orders on the delimitation of the parliamentary and legislative assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir on the 14th March 2022 and the 5th May 2022, according to news agency GNS.
In response to legislator A. Ganeshamurthi’s query he said , “The Election Commission of India thereafter started the process of updating the voter lists in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The decision to schedule elections is the prerogative of the Election Commission of India.”
The security situation in J&K has “improved dramatically,” according to Rai, and the administration maintains a policy of zero tolerance against terrorists.
He responded, “There has been a significant drop in terrorist incidents from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021.”
He said that the government has made a number of steps to restore normalcy in the Kashmir valley. “These include proactive operations against terrorists, a strong security and intelligence grid,proactive operations against terrorists, intensified night patrolling and checking at Nakas, security arrangements through appropriate deployment and high level of alertness maintained by the security forces.”
The formation of IIT & IIM, two new AIIMS, and the expedited progress of infrastructure projects in the areas of roads, power, and other areas are only a few of the measures the government has done, according to Rai, to promote the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, he added, a new Central Scheme with a budget of Rs. 28,400 crores is being implemented for the industrial development of J&K, creating jobs for 4.5 lakh people.
He said that 229 terrorist-related incidents occurred in J&K last year, resulting in the deaths of 42 security personnels and 41 civilians. According to him, 117 security personnels and 75 civilians were hurt overall in 2021. He claimed that 244 terrorist-related incidents occurred in J&K in 2020, and 62 security personnel and 112 civilians were injured.
