Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation challenging the state government’s policy to classify municipal corporations into two categories and the reservation system for the mayoral posts. The bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar delivered the ruling on Tuesday in response to the petition filed by Shantanu Kumar Chandra.
The petitioner had contested the government’s decision to divide the nine municipal corporations in Jharkhand into Category ‘A’ and Category ‘B’. According to the government notification, Ranchi and Dhanbad municipal corporations fall under Category ‘A’, while the remaining municipal corporations are classified as Category ‘B’.
Based on this classification, the reservation for mayoral positions was determined. The petitioner argued that the government disregarded the 2011 census data while implementing the reservation policy. He pointed out that the Scheduled Caste population in Dhanbad district was nearly two lakh as per the 2011 census, warranting reservation of the mayor’s post for Scheduled Castes in Dhanbad.
Contrarily, the government’s policy declared the mayoral seat in Dhanbad as unreserved. Meanwhile, in Giridih municipal corporation, where the Scheduled Caste population is around 30,000, the mayor’s post was reserved for Scheduled Castes. The petitioner claimed this was against the constitutional principles of equality and justice and sought the court’s intervention.
State government’s arguments were presented by Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan and Additional Advocate General Sachin Kumar. They maintained that the classification and reservation were carried out following lawful procedures and relevant rules.
After hearing all parties, the High Court bench rejected the petition, clearing the way for the municipal corporation elections to proceed smoothly in the state.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
Leave a Comment