Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Saturday said Panchayat elections would serve little purpose unless statehood is restored to Jammu and Kashmir, arguing that the elected government itself does not currently have full powers to function effectively.Speaking to reporters during his visit to the Gandhi Nagar Government Hospital, Choudhary said the existing administrative arrangement limited the authority available to the elected government and, consequently, would also constrain the functioning of elected Panchayati Raj institutions.

He maintained that Panchayats would not have adequate authority to execute development works effectively under the present system.

The Deputy Chief Minister’s remarks came amid discussions over the holding of Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir, where the restoration of statehood has remained a key political issue.

Choudhary reiterated that meaningful decentralisation and effective functioning of grassroots institutions required the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.