NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down hard on the Centre and Nagaland government for not implementing the constitutional scheme of 33% reservation for women in local body elections.
“Why is it not being implemented? What are you doing? Politically also you (Centre) are on the same page. It is your government, your state. You take extreme stands against other state governments who are not amenable to you but you do nothing against your state government,” the court said.
Pressing for action, Justice S K Kaul told the Centre that it cannot wash its hand of the issue. “Its task is simplified by the fact that the political dispensation in the state is in line with the political dispensation at the Centre,” he said.
The bench, also comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, gave the Centre time till August 26 to make a decision. “If you don’t find a solution next time, we will hear the matter and decide finally. We have given you an extremely long rope. You gave an undertaking that you would do it but backtracked. This is our concern,” the bench said.
The court made the remarks while considering a contempt plea alleging non-compliance with the court’s order directing the Nagaland government and the state Election Commission to hold local body elections with 33% reservation for women. The court made it clear that it was not interfering with the customary laws of Nagaland or its special status under Article 371A.
“This is a state where education, economic and social status of women is among the best. Thus our concern is why reservation for women cannot be implemented,” it said. “Reservation is a concept of affirmative action. Women’s reservation is based on that. How do you get out of the constitutional provision?” the court asked.
Centre seeks more time
Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, sought more time to implement the reservation. “Give us some reasonable time and we will have a quietus to the entire situation,” he said