Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 4: Nearly half of the posts of Chairpersons in the Block Development Councils (BDCs) are set to be reserved in the exercise being undertaken for reservation of blocks for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women. The exercise would be set into motion once the Government declared percentage of reservation for three categories on the basis of an ordinance to be issued by the Governor on recommendations of the State Cabinet.
The Government had last month postponed elections to 143 chairpersons of an equal number of blocks that were scheduled to be held on November 7 following persistent demands from various political parties and other organisations for reservations to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women.
Earlier, the Government had announced elections without provision for reservations in the BDCs under the State Panchayati Raj Act.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Government was examining data of various agencies to provide reservations of SC/STs in the BDC elections though it was set to give 33 per cent reservation to women at par with Urban Local Bodies. Within 33 per cent reservation for women, there would be reservation for SC and ST women.
Sources said 2011 census figures or an exercise undertaken by the Rural Development Department in 2008 to reserve the posts of Panchayat members before holding Panchayat elections could serve the basis for deciding percentage of blocks to be reserved for SCs and STs.
The Social Economic (Caste) Census figures were yet to be published, sources said, adding that since the Government wanted to hold elections to the BDCs as early as possible, it could take figures of the exercise already undertaken by the Rural Development Department for reservation of blocks for SCs and STs.
As far as Scheduled Tribes were concerned, the Government would use the data available with different Departments for reservation of the blocks.
According to sources, the blocks for SCs would be reserved only in Jammu region, where their population was confined while blocks for STs and women would be reserved all over the State.
Out of 143 blocks for which the elections are to be held for chairpersons of the BDCs, nearly 50 per cent could be reserved including 33 per cent for women and rest for SC/STs. Rest 50 per cent blocks would be open.
“Once the ordinance for reservation of blocks was issued by the Governor on the proposal of the State Cabinet, only then an exercise would be undertaken for identifying the blocks to be reserved. This exercise will be done by the Rural Development Department, which was responsible for holding elections to the BDCs’’, sources said.
They added that while there would be equal reservation of 33 per cent to women in every district in the BDCs, the reservation of blocks for SCs and STs would depend on their population but they would be given total reservation across the State as decided by the Cabinet.
It may be mentioned here that the Government had to take the route of ordinance for according reservations to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women as the Legislature was not in session. The State Legislature would ratify the ordinance in its budget session in February-March and State Panchayati Raj Act amended accordingly for providing reservations, sources said.
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