OBC Seats in Pune’s Local Elections Face Big Changes
The Pune Municipal Corporation is making important changes in how it gives seats to Other Backward Classes (OBC) people. This is happening because of a big decision by the Supreme Court on March 3, 2022. The court said that before giving seats to OBC people, the government must first collect proper information about how many OBC people live in different areas.
In Pune’s local government, there were 23 seats for OBC people out of total 162 seats. But now, these seats can’t be given without proper counting of OBC people. The government needs to find out exactly how many OBC people live in each area, what jobs they do, and how much they earn.
The old system gave about 15.4% seats to OBC people, 15% to Scheduled Castes, and 7.5% to Scheduled Tribes. The rest of the seats were for general category people and women from all groups. OBC people make up about 32% of Pune’s population, and they want their fair share in the local government.
The Supreme Court has made three important rules. First, a special team must study OBC communities. Second, this team must tell how many seats should be given to OBC people. Third, the total number of reserved seats shouldn’t be more than 50% of all seats.
The Maharashtra State Election Commission is now working hard to follow these rules. They’re doing surveys in all 162 areas of Pune. They’re collecting information about OBC people’s education, jobs, and living conditions.
This information will help decide how many seats OBC people should get in future elections. The government wants to make sure that everyone gets fair representation in Pune’s local government, following all rules made by the Supreme Court and the Constitution. This will help make the election system better and more fair for everyone.
The changes in OBC seat allocation come as Pune continues to develop its transportation infrastructure across the city.
