BHUBANESWAR: The demand for postponing panchayat elections is growing louder in the state after the Supreme Court stayed the election process in Madhya Pradesh directing it to de-reserve the 27 per cent seats earmarked for other backward classes (OBCs).
The Opposition BJP and Congress urged the state government to ensure 27 pc reservation for the OBCs first and then proceed with the election. While Congress leader and former union minister Srikant Jena asked the state government to convene a special session of the Assembly to discuss the issue following rejection of October 8 draft reservation notification by the Orissa High Court, the Opposition BJP has suggested the state to move the Supreme Court to protect the interest of the OBCs.
Ridiculing the BJD resolution to nominate OBC candidates in 40 pc seats of PRIs, state BJP president Samir Mohanty said that this is another attempt by the state government to deflect the attention of a vast majority of the population. “The OBCs want their Constitutional rights of 27 pc reservation in the matters of jobs, educational institutions and elected bodies. They are not seeking any favour from the BJD,” said Mohanty.
This is a long pending demand of the OBCs who constitute more than 52 pc of the state’s total population. What prevented the government from complying with the ‘triple test’ requirement as indicated by the apex court before reserving local body seats for the OBCs?, he asked. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had written thrice to the Chief Minister requesting him to take necessary steps to provide 27 pc quota to OBCs in employment and educational institutions, he added.
Pradesh Congress media chief and former MLA Ganeswar Behera said the steps taken so far by the BJD government is to limit the OBC reservation to 11.25 pc. The September notification on the Odisha Panchayat Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021 by the state government was to cap the reservation of seats in the three-tier panchayat system at 50 pc for SCs, STs and OBCs.
He urged the state government to call for a special session of the Assembly to pass a resolution for providing 27 pc reservation to this population failing which, the Congress will take the issue to the people.
Government to submit final reservation list for PRIs soon
BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Tuesday said it will submit the final reservation list for PRIs to the State Election Commission soon. Law and Panchayati Raj Minister Pratap Jena told media persons that the announcement of dates for panchayat elections is getting delayed as the reservation list is being prepared as per a recent ruling of the Orissa High Court based on the orders of the Supreme Court.
The Minister said preparation of reservation list for different posts of PRIs like sarpanch, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad members by the department is underway. The final reservation list will be submitted to the SEC soon. He said the government has already submitted the reservation list for Zilla Parishad posts to the Commission.
Since the apex court has directed that the total reservation must not exceed 50 per cent of the total PRI seats, it will take some time to prepare the list. The State Election Commission will announce the poll dates after the government submits the final list of reserved seats.