Odisha Cabinet approves amendment in acts on OBC quota in ULBs

Bureau,Odishabarta

Bhubaneswar: The State Government on Friday gave its approval to amend the provisions of Odisha Municipal Act, 1950 and Odisha Municipal Corporation Act, 2003 on reservation of seats for chairperson/mayor for Backward Class Citizens (BCC).

These two Acts provide for reservation of seats for election to the extent of 27 per cent in favour of the BCC, otherwise known as OBCs, and in favour of SC and ST categories in proportion to their population in urban local bodies (ULBs) in line with the provisions of the Constitution. The Supreme Court vide its December 17 order struck down the reservation for BCC in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and asked them to first comply with the triple test being a precondition before notifying reservation of seats for BCC in the local bodies under their jurisdiction.

The triple test includes setting up of a dedicated commission to conduct empirical inquiry into the nature and implications of the backwardness as regards local bodies in the State, specifying the proportion of reservation required to be provisioned local body-wise according to the commission’s recommendations and ensuring that reservation doesn’t exceed 50 per cent of the seats reserved in favour of SCs, STs and OBCs taken together.

In view of the observations of the apex court on the reservation of seats for Backward Classes in urban body elections, the State Cabinet decided to amend the provisions pertaining to reservation of seats/office of the chairperson/mayor in favour of BCC in the Odisha Municipal Act, 1950 and Odisha Municipal Corporation Act, 2003, a Cabinet note issued by the State Government said.

Meanwhile, the Opposition BJP blamed the Biju Janata Dal Government in the State for not keeping 27 per cent reservation for the OBCs in the State. “Odisha Government’s announcement of giving preference to OBC candidates in the upcoming panchayat polls is all but tokenism,” senior BJP leader and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.

“The anti-OBC face of Odisha Government is evident from its lack of iron will in implementing the reservation, quota for OBCs in local body elections,” Pradhan said.

Senior BJD leader Pranab Prakash Das, responding to Pradhan’s statement, said: “Has OBC reservation ever been a priority? Why are you not bringing Central legislation for ensuring OBC reservation in India and filing petition for this in the Supreme Court? Where is your commitment for OBCs?” “Country knows how you formed Government in Madhya Pradesh, we got people’s mandate in Odisha. You are scared of panchayat polls in MP. But we want to hold panchayat polls in Odisha,” Das said.

Das said the BJD is committed to give 40 per cent OBC reservation in panchayat poll tickets. “We might even go up to 50 per cent reservation. We will also publicly publish a list of these OBC candidates who have been provided reservation in BJD tickets,” he said.

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