25 December,2024 06:23 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule. File Pic
Maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday said the pending elections to local bodies in the state will be held in March-April 2025 if the Supreme Court (SC) gives its decision on the OBC reservation in the first week of January, reported news agency PTI.
This announcement was made during a press conference in Nagpur. Bawankule emphasised that the State Election Commission would oversee the elections, with the state government pledging full support for the process.
He also said a hearing on the quota for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) is listed in the apex court in the first week of January, stated PTI.
"The State Election Commission will conduct the polls and the state government will provide all the support," the Revenue Minister said.
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The elections in the state have been delayed as the five-year terms of many municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, expired in 2022.
A significant ruling by the Supreme Court in December 2021 stated that OBC reservations in local bodies could not be enforced unless the government complied with specific criteria, known as the triple test laid down in the apex court's 2010 order.
The OBC seats will be re-notified as general category seats until the triple test criteria is fulfilled, the court had ruled.
The triple test required the state government to set up a dedicated commission to gather data on the backwardness of OBCs in every local body, to specify the proportion of reservation in each local body in light of commission's recommendations, and ensure that such reservation does not exceed 50 per cent of the total seats reserved for SC/ST/OBC together, reported PTI.
In addition to the election updates, Bawankule addressed concerns regarding the alleged unauthorised takeover of properties owned by private charitable trusts and educational institutions by the Waqf Board in Maharashtra.
He assured that "Once the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is cleared by Parliament, it will be implemented in Maharashtra. If there are any wrongdoings, they will be rectified," stated PTI.
Moreover, Bawankule highlighted the progress of the Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) initiative.
Launched in 2021, this initiative aims to conduct drone surveys of villages to issue e-property cards to farmers, confirming their land ownership.
He reported that e-property cards for 15,327 out of 30,515 villages are already prepared and will be distributed shortly.
(With inputs from PTI)
