OBC quota in local body elections: Maharashtra cabinet approves changes in the draft ordinance

After state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari raised some questions about it, the Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to amend the ordinance order for reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local bodies. tries. A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that this decision was taken during the cabinet meeting. The state government had earlier sent the ordinance for Koshyari’s approval. The Supreme Court had in March this year read out the OBC quota in some local governing bodies in the state, citing non-availability of empirical data to substantiate the percentage of reservation. The top court had said that the total reservation should not exceed 50 per cent. OBCs used to get 27 percent reservation in the electoral wards of municipal bodies and Zilla Parishads (Zilla Parishads).

The Maharashtra government’s decision to issue an ordinance granting electoral quota to OBCs was found to be legally inadequate as the state’s law and judiciary department had advised it to seek permission from the Supreme Court as the matter is sub-judice. Following a query on this by the Governor of Maharashtra, the state cabinet approved a proposal to rectify the order and draft a new ordinance. The cabinet also decided to implement the multi-panel method in municipal bodies like Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils. The proposal was submitted by the state’s urban development department, the statement said. Other proposals include setting up of a sugar museum in the state to showcase the contribution of the sugar industry in the development of the state; To guarantee short term credit to sugar mills for the crushing season 2021-22.