Delimitation panel calls for readjustment

The commission said that the current phase of work for readjustment of constituencies started in June 2004 on the basis of the 2001 census and final notifications in respect to 25 states have already been issued. In the past three years, the commission has held 130 public sittings all over the country, hearing objections and suggestions against the draft proposals.

The process of readjustment has been completed in all 3,726 Assembly Constituencies and 513 Lok Sabha constituencies in 25 states. The delimitation work in four northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur could not be completed because the court had stayed the exercise on account of petitions challenging the legality of the 2001 Census.

The commission issued the delimitation orders immediately after completion of work and they were published in the Gazzette of India. Though readjustment takes effect only from the date of the presidential notification, the orders have force of law as soon as they are published in the Gazzette, as per the provisions of the Delimitation Act 2002.

Jharkhand bandh against cut in ST seats

RANCHI: The Jharkhand Janadhikar Party JJP, backed by several political and socio-cultural groups, including the JMM and the Communist Party of India-Marxist CPI-M, has called for a Jharkhand bandh on Tuesday against the Delimitation Commission8217;s recommendation to decrease the number of seats reserved for STs in the state.

8220;From now on bandh will be a major aspect of our protest,8221; said JJP president Ratan Tirkey.

As per the commission8217;s recommendation, the number of Scheduled Tribe reserved seats in the 81-member Assembly has decreased from 28 to 21.Even the number of Lok Sabha seats reserved for STs has come down from five to one. The commission8217;s decision was based on 2001 Census data.