Before UP Panchayat Polls, ‘Quota Rules’ Changed; Now, Seats Reserved for SCs Will be Kept for OBCs
Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh panchayat elections, the government issued its reservation policy that would do away with reservation of seats that were till 2015 blocked for Scheduled Caste, backward classes and women. Instead, the old system of ‘rotation of seats’ would kick in, whereby seats that were reserved for SC or SC women will either not be reserved at all this year or reserved for OBCs. This procedure would also be followed with delimitation seats.
According to a Times of India report, the UP cabinet on Tuesday had passed a proposal on rotation of seats reservation. The previous SP government had changed this rule with delimitation seats, breaking the ongoing chain of rotation at the time of delimitation and starting the process afresh.
As per the formula used by the government, only 27 out of the 75 seats for zila panchayat president will be unreserved, with 16 reserved for SC, 20 for backward classes and 12 for women.
Additional chief secretary (Panchayati Raj) Manoj Kumar Singh was quoted as saying that along with implementation of rotational reservation, the government would take into account the reservation of seats from 1995 to 2015 before deciding the reservation and allocation of reserved seats. So far, 826 blocks and 58,194 gram panchayats have been constituted in the state.
“Seats which have never been reserved for OBCS, women or SCs could be reserved this year,” he said. As an example, Singh said, there are two district panchayats in the state which have never been reserved for OBC or SC. Similarly, there are seven district panchayats which have never been reserved for women. These seats were likely to be reserved.
He added that seats for zila panchayat president and ward members, members of local panchayats, gram pradhans and their members had been decided.
The TOI report further stated, the DM will publish the list of reserved seats and their allocations, which is how many seats will be reserved and the names of those seats, for pradhans, gram panchayat and zila panchayat between March 2 and 3. Then from March 4 to 8, any objections can be registered. Those who want to record an objection will have to give it in writing. After disposing of with the objections, a final list will be issued between March 10 and 12.
