Koshyari approves ordinance to restore OBC reservation in rural local bodies

Last week, months after the Supreme Court scrapped OBC quota in local bodies, the Cabinet had decided to promulgate an ordinance to restore the quota, apart from reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) within the 50 per cent reservation ceiling in rural local bodies.

However, the Governor had sent the file back to the government raising a legal point of bringing this ordinance to the notice of Supreme Court. On Wednesday, the state Cabinet amended the proposal and sent it back to the Governor for his approval.

“We are grateful to the Governor for approving the ordinance sent by the Cabinet. Whenever the Raj Bhavan has any doubt, it verifies with the state government. Similarly, we also addressed their point and sent the proposal back to
Raj Bhavan. Now, It has been approved by the Governor,” said NCP Minister Chhagan Bhujbal.

An official from the urban development department said it will soon send the proposal of promulgating an ordinance to restore OBC quota in the urban local bodies to the Governor.

The state Cabinet has also decided, on the lines of rural local bodies, to make similar provisions to restore OBC reservation in urban local bodies such as municipal corporations and municipal councils.