The Hindu                           19.02.2013

State asked to hold local bodies’ polls on 60.55 per cent quota

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Andhra Pradesh
government to conduct elections to urban local bodies and Panchayat Raj
institutions on the basis of existing 60.55 per cent quota to Backward
Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

A
Bench comprising Justices P Sathasivam and J.S. Khehar passed the order
on a petition filed by the State government and others challenging the
decision of the Andhra Pradesh High Court directing the authorities to
hold the polls by fixing 50 per cent reservation for various sections.

The
term of urban local bodies ended in September 2010 and that of
Panchayat Raj institutions (PRIs) in July 2011. Since then, they have
been under the rule of special officers in the absence of elected
councils.

The Centre had stopped the release of
statutory grants to the tune of Rs.1,500 crore to these PRIs due to
non-conduct of elections.

Besides the State
government, the appeal against the High Court order was filed by Andhra
Pradesh Most Backward Classes Committee and social activist P Vinay
Kumar.

A petition was filed in the High Court seeking
conduct of elections to the PRIs, but the government said it had to
first finalise the reservations (for various sections) as per the 2011
census.

Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh have been accusing the Congress government of dragging its feet over conducting elections.

Telugu
Desam Party and the Lok Satta Party welcomed the apex court’s order and
wanted the government to conduct elections to the local bodies
immediately.

“There has been no development in the
local bodies in the last three years and they are crying for even basic
infrastructure. The so-called special officers have totally neglected
the development of local bodies,” Telugu Desam senior legislator Gali
Muddukrishnama Naidu said in Hyderabad.

He alleged that the Congress government was not ready to conduct elections fearing a negative political fallout.

But
the Congress feels that it is the right time to prove its strength,
especially after the “good show” in the recent elections to primary
cooperative societies. “It’s the right time for us to prove our strength
even in the local bodies in the run-up to the Assembly elections next
year,” a Minister remarked.

– PTI

Our
Hyderabad Special Correspondent adds: The Backward Classes Welfare
Association has said that the Supreme Court judgment was a victory for
the struggles by the association seeking 34 per cent reservation for BCs
in these bodies.

‘Partial victory’

Association
president R. Krishnaiah stated in a press release that the judgment was
only a partial victory as the ultimate goal was to achieve
Constitutional backing on reservation for BCs by way of a Central
legislation.