CUTTACK: IN a major setback to State Election Commission (SEC) in respect of conducting election to Nuapada NAC, the Orissa High Court on Thursday put a stay on the Ward delimitation and reservation notification of NAC made by Nuapada district Collector.A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice BR Sarangi passed the interim stay order while hearing a petition filed by Mahesh Kumar Nihal of Nuapada challenging the Ward reservation notification.
In the petition Nihal’s counsel Bidyadhar Mishra had alleged that the State Government on January 10 had amended Odisha Municipal Law and issued notification for reserving Ward-wise seats and office-bearers for different categories like General, SC, ST, Women and Backward classes in every election. Earlier, the reservation was in force for two terms.
However, Nuapada Collector without considering the amendments had finalised the reservation notification basing on 2001 Census instead of taking 2011 population census, the petition alleged and urged the court to quash the reservation notification made illegally. The court also issued notice to SEC and State Government asking them to reply while posting the next date for hearing the case to March 12. Notably, the SEC on March 6 had announced that elections in Nuapada, Hindol and Attabira NACs will be held on April 3.