The fog regarding the three-tier panchayat elections in the remaining 12 districts of the state except Haridwar has now cleared. Panchayat elections will be held in July. After giving an affidavit to this effect in the High Court, the government has started preparations.
Meanwhile, the Raj Bhavan has given the green signal to the amendment ordinance in the Panchayati Raj Act to determine OBC reservation in panchayats afresh. According to Panchayati Raj Secretary Chandresh Kumar Yadav, OBC reservation will be fixed in the panchayats this month and along with issuing its final notification, the information will be sent to the State Election Commission.
Panchayat elections in Haridwar district are held along with Uttar Pradesh. The last elections there were held in the year 2022. After the term of panchayats in the remaining 12 districts ended in late November, when the situation for elections could not be created, they were handed over to the administrators. Meanwhile, in view of the panchayat elections, the government completed the work related to delimitation of panchayats, determination of constituencies, revision of voter lists. As per the Supreme Court’s directive, OBC (Other Backward Class) reservation in panchayats is to be determined afresh. After receiving the report from a single dedicated commission constituted in this regard, the government had sent an ordinance to the Raj Bhavan with a view to amending the Panchayati Raj Act. The Raj Bhavan has approved it. Meanwhile, during the hearing of the cases related to the ongoing Panchayat elections in the High Court, the government clarified that the Panchayat elections will be held in July. Accordingly, preparations have been started.
According to Panchayati Raj Secretary Chandresh Kumar Yadav, now OBC reservation will be determined in the panchayats this month. This determination will be done at the government level for the district panchayat members and at the district level for the area and gram panchayats. Earlier there was a limit of 14 percent for OBC reservation, which has now been removed. It has also been clarified that SC, ST and OBC reservation will not exceed 50 percent. In areas where the number of SC-ST will be more than 50 percent, OBC will not get reservation.
Administrator tenure will depend on notification
The tenure of administrators in panchayats is to end on 27 May and 31 May. If the notification for panchayat elections is issued before this, there will be no need to extend the tenure of administrators. If the notification is not issued, an amendment ordinance will be brought in the Panchayati Raj Act to extend the tenure.
