Jaipur, September 3: The Rajasthan High Court has requested a response from the state government regarding a petition challenging the number of reserved seats for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the upcoming Panchayati Raj elections for district chief positions.
During the hearing of the petition filed by Radheram Godara, a bench led by Justice Anoop Dhand issued notices to the state government and other relevant parties for their replies.
The court raised concerns about why the number of reserved district chief positions for OBC candidates has not increased, despite the overall total of district chief positions rising. In 2020, out of 33 district chief positions, 5 were reserved for OBC candidates. However, even with the total number increasing to 41, the reserved positions for OBCs have remained at 5. The court demanded clarification from the government on why OBC representation has not been proportionately increased.
The High Court directed the petitioner’s lawyer to provide a copy of the petition to the Additional Advocate General representing the Panchayati Raj department and the government lawyer. The next hearing for the case is scheduled for September 8.
Petitioners’ lawyers, Arvind Sharma and Anand Sharma, argued that following the reorganization of districts and the creation of new districts, the number of district chief positions has risen from 33 to 41. They contended that the increase in total positions should have prompted a recalculation of OBC reservations under the applicable rules.
They have requested a fresh calculation of OBC reservations for district chief positions while keeping the total reservations within the constitutional limit of 50 percent set by the Supreme Court. The petitioners also argued that OBC candidates should receive fair and proportional representation within the Panchayati Raj system.
The petition raises questions about the OBC Commission’s report, stating that the government has not made the report public. The petitioners referenced media reports indicating that the government does not fully consider the report to be accurate. The report has yet to be released by the government.
The petitioners have also questioned the basis for providing approximately 16 percent OBC reservation, arguing that the proportion should be higher. They noted that in 2020, OBCs were granted 18 percent reservation and argued that based on their calculations, the number of reserved district chief positions for OBCs should increase to 7 out of 41.
The High Court has not yet made a decision on these claims and has sought a response from the government before proceeding further.
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