Panchayat Raj polls: Govt fixes BC quota at 23%

The Telangana government has fixed 23 per cent BC reservation for the upcoming elections to the local bodies. The state Panchayat Raj Department has issued a Government Order outlining the reservation framework for the upcoming gram panchayat elections.

The GO specifies procedures for determining reservations for sarpanch and ward member posts and mandates that the total quota should not exceed 50 per cent.

According to the guidelines, reservations for SC, ST, and BC ward members will be made based on caste census data. BC quota for sarpanch posts will also be determined using caste census figures, while SC and ST reservations for sarpanch positions will be based on the 2011 Census population statistics.

The responsibility for finalising sarpanch reservations has been assigned to Revenue Divisional Officers (RDOs), while ward member reservations will be determined by Mandal Parishad Development Officers (MPDOs).

The women’s reservations will be made by draw of lots conducted in the presence of representatives from political parties.

The Telangana government has clarified in the GO that SC, ST, and BC reservations should within the Supreme Court-mandated 50 per cent ceiling.

The GO Ms 46 was issued on Saturday. The Dedicated Commission submitted its report on reservations to the state government on Thursday, though the report has not yet been made public

The latest GO has superseded GO Ms 42, issued on September 26 this year, which had proposed 42 per cent reservations for BCs in the panchayat elections and is currently under challenge in the High Court.

There are 545 mandals, 12,760 villages, and 1,13,534 wards in the State, with ward member and sarpanch elections to be held in direct mode.

As the state government has amended the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act 2018, the reservation of seats and offices will be done on a rotation basis beginning from the ordinary elections held under the Act. The upcoming elections will be treated as the second ordinary elections.

A hearing on the reservation issue in the context of elections to local bodies is scheduled in the High Court on November 24. Depending on the court’s direction, a report on reservations will be finalised and placed before the State Cabinet on November 25 for approval.