Further review of backward classes representation in Panchayat

Patna, Apr 3 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today announced to further review representation of backward classes in Panchayat reservation and disclosed that a task force would be constituted for assessing the functioning of elected Panchayat representatives.

Replying to the special debate on Bihar Panchayati Raj Bill-2006 and the amendments moved by the Opposition members in the Assembly during the pre-lunch session, Mr Kumar said reservation had been given in the three tier Panchayati Raj system.

Mr Kumar said the representation of backward classes would be reviewed further and if required they would be given adequate reservation in the Panchayati raj.

The CM said either a task force or a commission or a committee would be constituted to review the functioning of the elected representatives for better performance of the Panchayat.

In case of any irregularity or slackness on the part of the panchayat representatives they would be removed from their posts, he disclosed and maintained that such representative would be given the opportunity to explain their position.

Intervening in between, the Opposition members expressed their anguish over the quota given to the extremely backwards in the reservation in Panchayat and staged a walkout.

Mr Kumar said it was for the first time in the anals of Bihar that women had been given fifty per cent reservation in the Panchayati Raj. He elaborated that the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Extremely Backward Caste (EBCs) too had been given due representation on the basis of their population.

He admitted of loopholes in the population study of EBCs as they had not been covered separately in the Census but said this hurdle was solved and the section were accorded reservation in the panchayat on the basis of the quota given to them in the government jobs.

Mr Kumar said EBCs had been given 20 per cent reservation while ST one per cent and SC 16 per cent. He said 50 per cent elected mukhias would be women from now on. Earlier their representation was just 0.92 per cent. Similary the percentage of EBCs would increase to 20 per cent from less than 2 per cent and SC to 16 per cent from 1.90 per cent.

The CM said in view of the Oppositions objections, the elections were being held on non-political basis and the Bihar panchayati Raj Bill -2006 had been made after detail discussion with Opposition, legal luminaries and concerned authorities.

Earlier 58 amendments were moved against the bill, which were turned down one by one in the lower House.

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