MSBCC recommends restoration of 27% quota for OBCs in upcoming elections to 15 municipal corporations & 24 Zilla Parishads
OBC population is over 38% & not 33% in Maharashtra
Number of representatives has lesser importance at this stage than opportunity to have participation, says MSBCC
NCP Minister Chhagan Bhujbal urges State Election Commission to start process for earmarking seats for OBCs in local bodies
Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission (MSBCC) headed by Justice (retired) AV Nirgude in its interim report has strongly recommended the restoration of 27% political quota in local bodies subject to a permissible upper limit of 50% excluding statutory reservation for SC and ST. Further, the Commission, which submitted its report to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, said the OBC population in Maharashtra is 38% and not 33% as pointed out by the union ministry of social justice in its report released in March 2021. The state government will submit the report to the Supreme Court as per its ruling. The hearing, which was slated for Monday, will take place soon in the apex court.
‘’Systematic Administrative Reforms for Achieving and Learning (SARAL) and Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) indicate that there are 32.93% population belonging to OBCs in Maharashtra and UDISE (rural and urban) indicate that OBCs are 38% of the state population. This means that the Backward Class (BCC)/Other Backward Class (OBC) population is more than 38%,’’ said the Commission. It further added, ‘’Considering the percentage of OBC pupils in schools, it endorses that percentage of OBCs in Maharashtra may be much more than 38%.’’
‘’The Commission though it fit to recommend to restore 27% reservation which is already permissible by various enactments excluding the area notified by Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, 1996 and subject to permissible upper limit of 50% to BCC/OBC category in local self government excluding statutory reservation meant for SC and ST,’’ it said.
According to the Commission, for the upcoming local body polls, the representation of backward classes is more meaningful for the purpose of their participation and decision making process in local bodies than the percentage of their representations. ‘’Number of representatives has lesser importance at this stage than the opportunity to have participation,’’ he said. The Commission’s recommendation is important as the elections to the 15 municipal corporations including Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai and 24 Zilla Parishads are slated for this year.
The ball is now in Supreme Court's court to accept the interim report and restore OBC quota in local bodies.
NCP Minister and Samata Parishad Founder Chhagan Bhujbal confirmed that the Commission has pointed out that the OBC population in Maharashtra is more than 38%. ‘’The state government has completed triple test (To set up a dedicated Commission to conduct contemporaneous rigorous empirical inquiry into the nature and implications of the backwardness qua local bodies, within the State, to specify the proportion of reservation required to be provisioned local body wise in light of recommendations of the Commission, so as not to fall foul of over breadth and in any case such reservation shall not exceed aggregate of 50% of the total seats reserved in favour of SCs/STs/OBCs taken together). ‘’In view of this, the State Election Commission needs to start the process of earmarking reservation to OBCs in local bodies,’’ he noted.
