State election commission grants 4 days for working out reservation roster

The State Election Commission (SEC) today extended time for completing the reservation roster in 74 urban local bodies up to July 15 after several districts failed to complete the process by the designated day today.

The SEC also clarified that the directions issued by the Urban Development (UD) Department yesterday to defer the process as the new census figures were not available were void ab initio as they have no force of law to issue such directions.

Earlier, some deputy commissioners wrote to the Principal Secretary, UD Department this morning, seeking clarification on declaring the reservation roster. The confusion arose as the SEC demanded strict adherence to the schedule and declaring the roster today itself. It, however, presented a diametrically contrary stand where the UD Department had put on hold declaration of the roster while taking the pretext of non-availability of latest data about the number of electors of reserved categories like the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC).

The DCs also deferred the meetings slated to be held in the morning in several districts to work out the roster while awaiting for appropriate directions from the UD Dept while also fearing an adverse backlash from the SEC for failing to finalise the roster today as per the SEC’s earlier notified schedule.

In a much-awaited relief, the SEC granted four more days to complete the process by July 15 which came as a temporary respite to the officials who have secured some time to complete the process.

Since the roster will lead to reserving 50 per cent of the wards for women and few more for the reserved categories, it could upset the poll prospects of many serving councillors. It remains to be seen if the ruling Congress works out the roster by July 15 or would further postpone the process on one pretext or the other until an amicable solution favouring them is worked out.

The commission also cited Section 281 of the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Act, 1994, Section 9, 9(E) of the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 read with Rule 34 of HP Municipal Election Rules, 2015 and Rule 32 of HP Municipal Corporation Election Rules, 2012 and reminded the officials that the Deputy Commissioner and other staff shall be on deputation with the State Election Commission and shall be subject to the supervision and control of the Commission, do all such acts and things as may be necessary for effectively conducting the elections in the manner provided under relevant rules or orders.

While directing the officials to abide by the Commission’s orders, it further stated that the “The commission expects that no occasion will arise to invoke any action under these provisions.”

Himachal Tribune