The Gujarat Government on August 29 announced a hike in the quotas for OBCs from 10% to 27% in local bodies like panchayats, municipalities and civic corporations on the basis of a commission report, paving the way for polls in these self-governing institutes.
However, in areas notified under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) (PESA) Act — most of them with substantial tribal population — the reservation for OBCs in local bodies will continue to be 10 %.
The PESA notified areas include 50 predominantly tribal talukas in eight districts of the State.
SC quota unchanged
Also, the existing quota for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes remains unchanged and there has been no breach of the 50% reservation ceiling. The government has not touched the the reservation for Scheduled Castes 14% and Scheduled Tribes 7%.
The latest announcement paves the way for elections in as many as 7,000 village panchayats, two district panchayats and 70 municipalities across the State.
The OBC reservation before the reservation in local self government bodies was 10% in the State.
The State government accepted the report submitted by Justice Jhaveri Commission, which was constituted by the state government to fix the quotas in line with the Apex Court’s mandate that the quotas for OBCs should be based on their population.
“We have increased the quotas for OBCs as recommended by the Commission,” Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said while announcing the government’s decision. The state BJP President CR Paatil was also present in the briefing and Paatil thanked the government for raising the quota.
“On the basis of the Jhaveri Commission report, a cabinet sub-committee recommended 27% reservations for OBC in local bodies and the recommendation was accepted by the state cabinet on Tuesday,” Gujarat Minister and government spokesperson Rushikesh Patel told media persons in the cabinet briefing.
He added that earlier the OBC reservation in local bodies was 10% but as per the direction of the Supreme Court, a commission was constituted to redefine seat reservation for OBCs in local bodies.
“The Government received the report of the Jhaveri Commission in April. After that deliberations were carried out by a sub-committee of the cabinet and finally, it’s been accepted.”
In July last year, the state government had set up a commission headed by former Gujarat High Court Judge KS Jhaveri collect and analyse data about the nature and implications of backwardness in local bodies, an exercise necessary for fixing the OBC quota in elections for institutes of local self-governance like panchayats and municipalities.
Last week, the Gujarat Congress held a sit in to demand that the report be made public and the quotas for the OBCs fixed as per their population.
Caste census
“We have been demanding this for very long. Finally, the state government has accepted but we now demand a caste census to determine the exact population of each caste group,” Gujarat leader of opposition Amit Chavda said.
He said the government has not shared details on how it would implement the 27% quotas.
He accused the State government of not hiking budgets for OBC communities in the State.
