VIJAYAWADA: The State government has informed the Andhra Pradesh High Court that the 34% reservation provided to Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections was based on a contemporary BC population enumeration conducted through the ‘Unified Family Survey’ across the State.
In its counter to a PIL filed in the High Court against 34% reservation for BCs in the local body polls, the government said the reservation was determined after taking into account the numerical strength, geographical spread and diversity of BC communities in the State.
It maintained that adequate political reservation was necessary to ensure meaningful, and not merely symbolic, representation of BCs in local governance.
The contemporary enumeration showed that BCs constitute around 50.42% of the total population in the State, the government said.
Current BC quota in local body polls different from 2020 exercise: Govt
It added that the 34% quota was also supported by a study conducted by a dedicated commission headed by retired IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan Mishra. The government said the Unified Family Survey was undertaken statewide to verify and update family details, and constituted a significant factual development that was not available during the reservation exercise undertaken in 2020.
The counter was filed by Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department Additional Secretary BAVP Kumar Reddy in compliance with the directions of the High Court.
Advocate Tandava Yogesh had filed the Public Interest Litigation challenging the government orders providing 34% reservation to BCs in local body elections. The petitioner contended that the quota would take total reservations beyond the 50% ceiling, which is unconstitutional.
The government, however, contended that the current process was substantially different from the 2020 exercise. It said the earlier process had resulted in a total reservation of 59.85% under GO 176 dated December 28, 2019, whereas the present proposal was based on fresh population data and an independent study by the special commission.
The commission was tasked with examining the social, educational, economic and political status of BC communities, their population and their representation in local bodies. The government said the exercise was consistent with the requirement of considering contemporary empirical data while determining political reservations.
It further pointed out that the 34% reservation had a long legislative history in Andhra Pradesh. The AP Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 initially recognised one-third reservation for BCs, after which the Legislature approved the 34% reservation policy.
The government said the decision was not based solely on historical practice or population figures. Social and educational backwardness and the need for effective BC participation in local decision-making were also considered.
Referring to the Birru Pratap Reddy case and subsequent Supreme Court orders, the government said it respected the judicial pronouncements but maintained that the present exercise must be independently assessed on the basis of current evidence.