The dedicated commission, headed by B Venkateswara Rao, has been tasked to do an empirical data survey of BCs for fixing reservations in local bodies.
Published Dec 14, 2024 | 11:09 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 14, 2024 | 11:09 AM
Telangana panchayat polls. (iStock)
Elections to gram panchayats in Telangana state are likely to be delayed further. Though the state government wants to hold them in February next year, it is very much doubtful since the dedicated commission for fixing reservations for the Backward Castes (BCs) has not yet completed its job.
According to sources, the commission is waiting for the data of the caste census that is going on in the state. The government has claimed that 99 percent of the work is over and that those who are not covered could still make a representation for the inclusion of their data.
The dedicated commission, headed by B Venkateswara Rao, has been tasked to do an empirical data survey of BCs for fixing reservations in local bodies. For this, it will have to use the caste census data in arriving at how much reservation should be provided to which caste among the BCs.
The government is of the opinion that without the finalisation of reservations for BCS, it would not go ahead with the elections. “If it does, the party will have to face flak that it was going back on its promise to the electorate ahead of the Assembly elections last year that after coming to power it would provide 42 percent reservations to the BCs,” a source in Panchayat Raj department said.
Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabakar told the South First: “I cannot tell you the date of the elections for panchayats. What all I can say is that without finalisation of the reservations for the BCS, the elections would not be held,” he said, indicating that there might be a delay.
The BC organisations are not happy with the goings-on in the government on hiking reservations for the BCs. Says Founder president of BC Rajyadhikara Samiti Dasu Suresh: “The commission is taking too long. The High Court, when it asked the state government to constitute a dedicated commission to decide the reservations for the BCS, gave a specific deadline of 45 days.”
He added, “If the commission takes more time, with the approval from the court, the election might be delayed. I do not think Congress is a fool to go in for the panchayat elections without enhancement of the BC reservations and incur the wrath of the BCs.”
According to sources, the dedicated commission has sought an extension of time to propose reservations for Backward Castes commensurate with the population of each caste. The commission is doing its spade work now but needs the caste survey data collected by the planning department.
The state government has yet to make a decision but it is expected that it will have to sooner rather than later as it is also very keen on holding the elections to panchayats.
The dedicated commission was set up by the state government on 4 November. The setting up of the commission was also in compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2010 order, that the panel constituted should be entrusted with the task of conducting the “triple test” for the orderly and transparent implementation of the constitutional mandate in implementing reservations for the BCs.
The three tests relate to making empirical inquiry into the nature of backwardness in local bodies by a dedicated commission, collecting quantifiable data on the backwardness of the OBCs and ensuring that the reservation for BCs would not exceed 50 percent cap on all reservations put together.
The commission must submit a detailed report to the state government after reviewing the information gathered in the caste survey. The report will focus on whether reservations for backward castes should be increased. The commission is being supported to ensure the report is completed quickly.
The commission was constituted following the direction to this effect by the Telangana High Court on 30 October. The direction was that the commission so created should do an empirical data survey for implementation of reservations for the BCs in the ensuing local body elections. The high court issued the direction on a petition filed by former Rajya Sabha member R Krishnaiah, who urged that there should be a separate commission to conduct the survey.
The BC associations are not very gung-ho over the entire exercise but are hopeful that if not 42 percent as announced by the Congress at the time of Assembly elections, there would surely be some enhancement. The problem is the dominant castes would not allow a liberal increase in the reservations as their dominance would dim, said BC Rayadhikara Samiti president Dasu Suresh.
“Even if there is some increase, it is better than nothing,” he said and pointed out that unless there are backward class leaders at the helm, like in Tamil Nadu, justice would not be done to the BCs in the form of enhancement of reservations for them.
Even after the submission of the recommendations by the dedicated commission, no one knows how Congress would cross the hurdle of the 50 percent cap on reservations set by the Supreme Court.
In 2018, the then BRS government issued an Ordinance, amending the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, declaring that the total reservations in Panchayat Raj elections will not exceed 50 percent. The original 2018 Panchayati Raj Act had reserved 34 percent of the total number of offices in Gram Panchayats for Backward Classes.
However, total reservations, after accounting for reservations provided to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), which are mandated by the constitution, had crossed 50 percent necessitating amendment as the provision of 34 percent would run in conflict with the Supreme Court’s 50 percent cap order.
As per the 2011 census, STs have six percent reservation, and SCs, 16 percent. If 34 percent reservation is provided for the BCs, the total reservations would reach 56 percent. The amendment to the Act reduced the BCs’ reservation to 28 from 34 to to remain within the 50 percent cap set by the Supreme Court.
The elections to the panchayats are long overdue. All the 12,769 villages in the state continue to be under the special officers’ rule since 2 February, 2024, after the term of the elected bodies had expired.
As it is more than 10 months since the village panchayats came under special officers’ rule, they have become ineligible for the 15th Finance Commission funds released to the Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs).
The gram panchayats are already in dire need of funds. The more the delay, the more the sheen the villages lose, which the Congress cannot afford. Earlier, when the elected bodies were in place, the sarpanches and ward members somehow or the other took care of the minimum services in the villages like keeping the roads clean or repairing the roads that are in urgent need.
In some villages, the sarpanches, afraid of losing face, spent even their personal funds on repairing roads and maintaining sanitation. They hoped that the government would clear the bills which it did only in fits which led to several of them ending their lives by suicide.
Now that there are no sarpanches or ward members, citizen services in villages have taken a hit. The special officers are reportedly wasting time and there are reports that some of them, who stay far away from the villages, are not very regular in discharging their additional responsibilities.
The Fifteenth Finance Commission (2021-22 to 2025-26) allocated ₹7,201 crore to Telangana for the five years of which 60 percent is a tied grant and the remaining 40 percent is an untied grant.
For 2024-25, the Finance Commission made an allocation of ₹1,514 crore of which ₹605.6 is untied (40 percent, basic) grant and ₹908.4 crore is tied grant (60 percent) for Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) which include Gram Panchayats, Mandal Praja Parishads and Zilla Praja Parishads.
A lion’s share of the Finance Commission’s grants (85 percent) goes to gram panchayats. “As there are no elected bodies in place, the panchayats are not getting any central funds,” the source said.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
