Jammu, February 17 – Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (L-G), Manoj Sinha, appointed former senior IAS officer, Shantmanu, as the State Election Commissioner for the Union Territory, officials said on Tuesday.
An order issued from Lok Bhawan stated, "In exercise of the powers conferred by Sub-Section (3) of Section 36 of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir is pleased to appoint Shantmanu, IAS (retd.), as the State Election Commissioner for Jammu and Kashmir under the said Act."
"He (Shantmanu) will hold the position of State Election Commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir for a period of five years or until he attains the age of 70, whichever is earlier."
"The appointment of the State Election Commissioner will take effect from the date Shantmanu assumes the position. The terms and conditions of his appointment will be notified by the government subsequently," the order issued by L-G Sinha said.
Shantmanu retired as the Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) of Jammu and Kashmir on December 31, 2025.
B.R. Sharma, an IAS officer of the 1984 batch, who retired from service on April 30, 2020, was previously appointed as the Jammu and Kashmir State Election Commissioner, and he retired last year.
With the appointment of Shantmanu as the State Election Commissioner, the path has been cleared for holding Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
These elections are now likely to be held later this year, as the terms of the elected Panchs and Sarpanches ended in the Union Territory on January 9, 2024.
The elected representatives (around 30,000) for the 4,291 panchayats had taken office on January 10, 2019, following elections held in late 2018.
With the end of their term, the panchayat bodies ceased to exist, and the administration of the panchayat funds was suspended.
The District Development Councils (DDCs), another tier of the Panchayati Raj system, in Jammu and Kashmir are set to conclude their terms on February 24, 2026.