HC Asks AP on Basis for 34% BC Reservation in Local Body Polls
The court noted that the state government had said it was studying the report of the Rajiv Ranjan Commission, which examined the socio-economic, political and educational status of BCs.
Vijayawada:The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday asked the state government to explain the basis on which it provided 34 per cent reservation for backward classes (BCs) in the ensuing local body elections.
A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Lisa Gill and Justice Challa Gunaranjan was hearing a batch of petitions seeking directions to the government not to conduct local body elections without completing the BC population census scientifically. Another petition challenged the government orders providing 34 per cent reservation for BCs.
The court noted that the state government had said it was studying the report of the Rajiv Ranjan Commission, which examined the socio-economic, political and educational status of BCs.
The court asked when the government would take the Commission’s report into consideration and why the report had not been made public. It also sought details of the BC reservations mentioned in the report and the basis on which the reservation was finalised.
The court further asked the government how it would justify the reservation limit crossing 50 per cent and directed it to submit the relevant details.
The next hearing has been posted for September 16.