Chandigarh August 31- Ensuring the political reservation rights of Backward Classes (A) in the Panchayati Raj Institutions, Haryana Cabinet which met under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal today accepted the Haryana Backward Classes Commission’s report regarding the same.
The Commission headed by former Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justices (Retd) Sh. Darshan Singh had conducted the dedicated empirical enquiry for assessment of the political backwardness of the Backward Classes of Citizens. In the assessment the Commission found that the Backward Classes of Citizens, Block- A (BC-A) are not adequately represented in the political setup, so they require political reservation in the Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Recommended Reservation in Gram Panchayat
Seats of Panch in every Gram Panchayat shall be reserved for the Backward Classes (A) in same proportion of the total seats as one-half of the percentage of population of Backward Classes (A) to the total population in that Gram Sabha Area. In case the decimal value is 0.5 or more, it shall be rounded off to the next higher integer.
Provided that every Gram Panchayat shall have at least one Panch belonging to the Backward Classes (A) if its population is two percent or more of the total population of the Sabha area.
Eight percent of the total number of offices of Sarpanch in a block and rounded off to the next higher integer in case the decimal value is 0.5 or more shall be reserved for Backward Classes (A).
Recommended Reservation in Panchayat Samiti
Seats of member shall be reserved for the Backward Classes (A) in every Panchayat Samiti in same proportion of total seats as one-half of the percentage of population of Backward Classes (A) to the total population in that block. In case the decimal value is 0.5 or more, it shall be rounded off to the next higher integer.
Recommended Reservation in Zila Parishad
Seats of member shall be reserved for the Backward Classes (A) in every Zila Parishad in same proportion of total seats as one-half of the percentage of population of Backward Classes (A) to the total population in that Zila Parishad area.
The reservation shall not exceed aggregate of 50 percent of the total seats reserved in favour of Scheduled Castes and BC (A) taken together in a particular Panchayati Raj Institution
The Commission has stated that as per the direction of Apex Court, the reservation shall not exceed aggregate of 50 percent of the total seats reserved in favour of Scheduled Castes and BC (A) taken together in a particular Panchayati Raj Institution. It is further made clear that where the number of seats so reserved for Backward Classes (A) under the foregoing classes added to the numbers of the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes exceeds 50 percent of the total numbers of seats in the given Panchayati Raj Institutions, then the numbers of seats reserved for Backward Classes (A) shall be restricted to such largest number that will lead to the total seats reserved for Backward Classes (A) and Scheduled Castes taken together not exceeding 50 percent of the total seats of the Panch in the Gram Panchayat, Member of Panchayat Samiti and Member of Zila Parishad respectively.
Clarification on the interpretation of the aforesaid recommendations
In order to clarify the interpretation of the aforesaid recommendations the following examples have been cited by the Commission.
Say for example in village A the population of the backward class Block A is 25 percent of the total population of the Gram Sabha then 12.5 percent seats shall be reserved for Backward Class Block (A) citizens, subject to the other conditions mentioned above.
Where in a given village the population of the Scheduled Castes is 50 percent or more the Backward Classes (A) will not get any reservation irrespective of the percentage of its population.