Why didn’t OBC seats increase with rise in Zila Pramukh posts? HC seeks Raj govt’s response

Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court has sought the state government’s response on a petition challenging the number of Other Backward Classes (OBC) reserved seats for Zila Pramukh posts in the upcoming Panchayati Raj elections.

Hearing a petition filed by Radheram Godara, a bench headed by Justice Anoop Dhand issued notices to the state government and other concerned parties and sought their response.

During the hearing, the Court questioned why the number of OBC-reserved Zila Pramukh posts had remained unchanged despite an increase in the total number of Zila Pramukh positions.

The Court noted that five of the 33 Zila Pramukh posts were reserved for OBC candidates in 2020. However, following an increase in the total number of posts to 41, the number of OBC-reserved posts has remained at five.

The Court sought an explanation from the government as to why OBC representation had not been increased proportionately.

The High Court directed the petitioner’s counsel to provide a copy of the petition to the Additional Advocate General and the Government Advocate representing the Panchayati Raj Department.

The matter has been listed for the next hearing on September 8.

The petitioner’s counsel, Arvind Sharma and Anand Sharma, argued that the number of Zila Pramukh posts was increased from 33 to 41 following district reorganisation and the creation of new districts.

According to the petitioners, the increase in the total number of posts should have been accompanied by a corresponding recalculation of OBC reservation under the applicable rules. They have sought a fresh calculation of OBC reservation for Zila Pramukh posts, while keeping the overall reservation within the 50 per cent constitutional ceiling laid down by the Supreme Court.

The petitioners have also argued that OBC candidates should receive fair and proportionate representation in the Panchayati Raj system.

The petition also raises questions regarding the report of the OBC Commission. According to the petition, the government has not made the Commission’s report public. The petitioners have also referred to media reports suggesting that the government itself does not consider the report to be completely accurate. The report has not yet been made public by the government.

The petitioners have also questioned the basis for providing approximately 16 per cent OBC reservation, arguing that the proportion should be higher. They have pointed out that 18 per cent reservation was provided for OBCs in 2020 and argued that, based on their calculation, the number of OBC-reserved Zila Pramukh posts should increase to seven out of the 41 posts.

The High Court has not yet ruled on the merits of these claims and has sought the government’s response before proceeding further.

IANS