Municipal polls likely to take place in March: JK Dy CM

Elections to urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions in Jammu and Kashmir may take place in March and May-June respectively next year, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh today said.
"We are considering holding urban local body elections in March next year and Panchayat polls in May and June," Singh told reporters here today.
Singh added that preparations for the polls were on.
When asked about Health Minister and BJP MLA Chaudhary Lal Singh's claim that Basholi bridge on River Tawi has come up because of him, the Deputy CM, also a BJP leader, took a dig at the leader saying it had come up due to the efforts of the government.

"If he (Lal Singh) is local MLA of Basholi, I am resident of Basholi. Everybody has made a contribution," he said.
Asked whether Village Defence Committees (VDCs) will be disbanded in the wake demands by political parties and separatists after a political leader was allegedly killed by a VDC member in a rage case, he said, "If it was a party worker, would have the political party been disbanded?".

"It could have either been an accident, or intentional. The law is dealing with the case... Law will take its own course," he said.
Ishtyaq Ahmed (26), a youth leader of National Conference, was shot dead on Saturday in the Kalekote area of Rajouri district allegedly by a member of village defence committee (VDC) after the duo had an altercation over distribution of ration.

Asked whether the government intends to table Ansari Commission report on 1984 Sikh riots in Assembly, he said that he does not have any knowledge on the matter.
"You should ask this question to those who were ruling in the last 30 years. Why has it not been tabled so far? We will see to it..." he said.
On the controversial issue of tax on chopper services to cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi, Singh said, "There is no question of silence... The tax has been imposed on helicopter services not on Vaishnodevi pilgrims... We are looking into the matter."

Asked about the transfer of a principal of GMC Srinagar and differences cropping up between BJP and PDP, he said the matter was of the health ministry and there was no such issue at the level of cabinet.
"There is no differences between the coalition partners".
Asked whether J&K will have its own IPL team in future, he said that no such proposal has come to his notice.
Hitting out at Opposition, Singh said they were confusing the people on the National Food Security Act.