Backward Classes (A) will get Reservation in Panchayati Raj Institutions

• 01 Sep 2022

Why In News?

• On August 31, 2022, Haryana Backward Classes Commission's report was approved in this regard to ensure political reservation rights of Backward Classes (A) in Panchayati Raj Institutions in the cabinet meeting chaired by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal.

Key Points

• It is noteworthy that the commission constituted under the leadership of Justice (Retd) Darshan Singh, former judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, conducted a thorough inquiry to assess the political backwardness of the citizens belonging to backward classes. The Commission observed that the Backward Classes Block-A (BC-A) people need to be provided political reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions due to lack of adequate representation in the political setup.
• Reservation recommended by the Commission in Gram Panchayat
  • The posts of Panch in each Gram Panchayat shall be reserved for the Backward Classes (A) in the same proportion as the total number of seats, which shall be one-half percent of the population of the Backward Classes (A) in the total population of the Gram Sabha area. If the decimal value is 0.5 or more, it will be rounded to the next higher integer.
  • Provided that if the population of the Backward Class (A) is two percent or more of the total population of the assembly area, there shall be at least one Panch belonging to the Backward Class (A) in every Gram Panchayat.
  • Similarly, eight percent of the total number of posts of sarpanch in a block and if the decimal value is 0.5 or more, it will be reserved for backward class (A) by rounding it to the next higher integer.
• Reservation recommended in Panchayat Samiti by the Commission
  • The members' posts in each Panchayat Samiti shall be reserved for the Backward Classes (A) in the same proportion as the total seats, which shall be one-half percent of the population of the Backward Classes (A) in the total population of the block. If the decimal value is 0.5 or more, it will be rounded to the next higher integer.
• Reservation recommended by the Commission in the Zilla Parishad
• The posts of members in each Zila Parishad shall be reserved for the Backward Classes (A) in the same proportion as the total number of seats, which shall be one-half percent of the population of the Backward Classes (A) in the total population of the Zilla Parishad area.
• The Commission has said that as directed by the Apex Court, the reservation shall not exceed 50 percent of the total seats reserved in favour of Scheduled Castes and BC(A) in any Panchayati Raj Institution.
• It is further clarified that on adding the number of seats so reserved for Backward Classes (A) with the number of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes, if their total number exceeds 50 percent of the total seats in Panchayati Raj Institutions then the number of seats reserved for the Backward Classes (A) shall be kept so that the reservation of Scheduled Castes and BC (A) shall be limited to 50 percent of the total seats of the Panch of the Gram Panchayat, the member of the Panchayat Limited and the member of the Zilla Parishad. Don't be more
• Explaining these recommendations, the Commission has given an example that assuming the population of backward class block A in the village is 25 percent of the total population of gram sabha, then 12.5 percent seats will be reserved for the citizens of backward class block (A).
• Where the Scheduled Caste population in a village is 50 percent or more, the Backward Class (A) will not get any reservation irrespective of the percentage of its population.