JAMMU, September 15, 2026 – The Jammu Press Club remains mired in a prolonged administrative deadlock as its much-anticipated elections are nowhere in sight, despite a wait of more than two years and a massive expenditure of ₹48 lakh. The delay has raised serious concerns among the local media fraternity regarding transparency and institutional governance, as the funds have been primarily disbursed to a court-appointed administrative panel tasked with executing the electoral process.
The impasse traces back to July 2024, when a district court in Jammu intervened to resolve the administrative stalemate. The court handed a clear mandate to a two-member apex panel comprising retired judges, directing them to conduct the overdue elections of the Press Club “by all means” on or before September 30, 2024. However, despite the explicit judicial deadline, the electoral exercise remains indefinitely stalled while the two former judges continue to preside over the institution’s affairs. During this extended tenure, the press club has incurred significant financial liabilities, shelling out approximately ₹48 lakh toward the panel’s expenses without achieving the mandated democratic transition.
A major point of contention hindering the electoral process appears to be the verification of the electoral rolls, with controversies surfacing over the inclusion of “doubtful voters.” Journalists and club members have increasingly expressed their frustration over the endless procedural delays and the substantial financial drain on the club’s resources. The ongoing situation highlights a critical failure in executing the court’s directives and restoring democratically elected leadership to one of the region’s premier media institutions.
Published by True Roots Media Network