Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: With just over 20 days left for the Panchayat elections in the State, the High Court has issued notice to the Government following four petitions filed challenging OBC reservation.
Voters of four panchayats have filed four different petitions in the High Court challenging what they claim is a “hurried” reservation for the OBC community without following the Supreme Court mandated “triple test.”
Arpora-Nagoa panchayat has filed two petitions, Parra panchayat one petition, and one petition has come from Candolim panchayat.
Advocate General Devidas Pangam said that the petitioners have challenged the OBC reservation submitted by the OBC Commission.
“They claim that the “triple test” mandated by the Supreme Court has not been satisfied. They want the new notification issued by the State Election Commissioned to be stayed or set aside, and the reservations notified in the first notification, excluding OBCs, to be followed,” said AG Pangam.
The High Court has asked Election Commission to file reply by tomorrrow 7 pm. The case would be heard again on July 20.
“The State government does not want injustice on OBC community. If they do not get a reservation now, they will have to wait for the next five years and based on that, we will file our affidavit,” he said.
Pangam said that the report submitted by the OBC Commission to the Government and the State Election Commission is detailed.
“The OBC Commission has also considered the data which they had earlier. They compared and analysed both data, and based on that, they recommended the Government,” he said.
Pangam said the OBC Commission has done a thorough study on how many panchayats there are OBC voters, how many times they have been given representations, and on that basis, they have decided the backwardness and gave recommendations.
“The Supreme Court directions were on the same lines which have been studied by OBC commission after consultation with the stakeholders,” he said.
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