Budgam DDC chairman removed after passage of no-confidence motion

Budgam District Development Council (DDC) chairman Nazir Ahmad Khan has been removed after a no-confidence motion was passed against him by the rest of the body’s members, officials said.

Khan, an Independent, was elected chairperson of the 14-member council after the maiden Jammu and Kashmir DDC elections were held in December 2020.

However, months after he was elected as the DDC chairman, the DDC members started protesting against Khan for his alleged failure to “deliver any kind of developmental goals on the ground”, the officials said.

They said the council members moved a no-confidence motion against Khan in February 2024 but the authorities did not act, prompting the council members to approach the court.

Despite a court order in March last year directing authorities to act on the petitioner’s complaint and a subsequent contempt motion, the council did not meet, the officials added.

In December last year, the 13 members passed a fresh no-confidence motion which was again not acted upon. Then in March this year, the court directed the Budgam Deputy Commissioner to immediately address the no-confidence motion after which a DDC meeting was scheduled for April 7.

On Monday, a meeting of the council was held in which Khan was ousted as the chairman after all DDC members except him voted against the chairman of the council, the officials said.