VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday questioned the State government over its decision to provide 34 per cent reservation to Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections while claiming that the report of the Rajeev Ranjan Mishra Commission was still under examination.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Lisa Gill and Justice Challa Gunaranjan asked how the government could rely on the Commission’s report to issue orders when it had not yet taken a final decision on the report. The bench also questioned why the report had not been made public and asked what was so confidential about it.
The court directed the government to place before it complete data relating to BC reservations contained in the Commission’s report and explain the basis on which the 34 per cent quota was fixed.
The bench, however, questioned how the government could again provide 34 per cent BC reservation after the earlier 34 per cent quota had been struck down by the High Court and upheld by the Supreme Court.
It directed the government to submit complete statistics and explain the legal and factual basis for the reservation.
It also sought an explanation on how total reservations exceeding the 50 per cent ceiling could be justified.
The hearing was adjourned to September 16. The bench was hearing several petitions challenging or seeking directions on BC reservations and the conduct of local elections.
Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas said the report was still under government consideration.
The bench questioned how long the examination would continue and how BC reservations could be finalised while the report remained under consideration.
The AG said the government had relied on the report’s data and a Planning Department survey, but had neither accepted nor rejected the Commission’s recommendations.