Thiruvananthapuram, 05 Jan (H.S.): Elections to various Standing Committees of local self-government institutions across Kerala will be held from Monday through Wednesday, as part of the post-election administrative process. Once the election of Standing Committee members is completed, the respective Returning Officers will conduct the election of committee chairpersons at the earliest.

As per statutory provisions, different categories of local bodies are required to constitute specific Standing Committees. In Gram Panchayats and Block Panchayats, four Standing Committees are to be formed—Finance, Development, Welfare, and Health and Education. District Panchayats will constitute five Standing Committees, namely Finance, Development, Public Works, Health and Education, and Welfare.

Municipalities will form six Standing Committees covering Finance, Development, Welfare, Health, Public Works, and Education, Arts and Sports. In Municipal Corporations, eight Standing Committees are mandated—Finance, Development, Welfare, Health, Public Works, Urban Planning, Tax Appeals, and Education and Sports.

The State Election Commission has designated the Returning Officers for conducting these elections. In the case of Gram Panchayats and Block Panchayats, the Returning Officers of the respective institutions have been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the election of both Standing Committee members and chairpersons. For District Panchayats and Municipal Corporations, the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) will function as the Returning Officer for these elections.

For Municipalities as well, the Election Commission has specifically appointed Returning Officers to oversee the process. The elections will be conducted strictly in accordance with the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act and the Kerala Municipality Act, ensuring adherence to reservation norms and democratic procedures.

As mandated, elections to seats reserved for women will be conducted first. If the number of candidates exceeds the number of vacancies, voting will be held among the members present at the meeting. The election in such cases will be conducted using the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote, ensuring fair representation of different political groups within the local body.

The formation of Standing Committees is considered a crucial step in the functioning of local self-government institutions, as these committees play a key role in policy formulation, project implementation, and oversight of key sectors such as finance, infrastructure development, welfare, health, education, and urban planning.

With the completion of these elections, local bodies are expected to become fully functional, enabling them to take up developmental and welfare activities without administrative delay. The Election Commission has directed Returning Officers to complete the entire process within the stipulated timeframe and ensure transparency and smooth conduct of the elections.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman