A pregnant DDC member was administered oath at her residence here on Monday even as 137 other newly-elected members in Kashmir swore to uphold the Constitution and sovereignty of the country, leading to the formation of the third tier of the Panchayati Raj system for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. Srinagar Deputy Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Choudhary visited the residence of Rizwana Akthar, an elected DDC member, in the Harwan area of the city to administer the oath to her as she was not able to attend the official oath ceremony held at the Tagore Hall, the officials said. The other elected DDC members were administered the oath by the respective district heads across all the districts of Kashmir division, they added. The oath was administered to 138 DDC members representing as many block constituencies in 10 districts of the division, the officials said. They said the members swore in the name of god and pledged to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution and uphold the sovereignty of the country. After the oath ceremony, preparations are now underway for the election of the DDC chairmen and the notifications for the same will be issued soon, the officials said. The deputy commissioners apprised the DDC members of their duties and roles and assured them of full support from the respective district administrations.
