non-­reservation of seats for OBCs from Goa

PANJIM: Aggrieved by the non-­reservation of seats for OBCs from Goa in the Municipal Council elections to Ponda and Sanquelim, four voters, two from Nabhik community and the other two from the Bhandari Naik community, registered on the rolls of the Ponda Municipal Council, approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa.



The petitioners submitted that in keeping with the constitutional objectives to give representation to the Backward communities in all governmental organizations, institutions and self-governing bodies such as Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and Municipalities, the state government introduced an amendment to Section 9 of the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968, thereby reserving seats for OBCs in the Municipal Councils in Goa.



According to them, in the two municipalities of Ponda and Sanquelim, large numbers of voters are from the OBC community, including the Nhabi and Bhandhari community. Relying on figures from the Goa State Commission for OBCs, they said that in Ponda Municipal Council there are about 15,032 voters, out of which about 41 % belong to the OBCs and in Sanquelim Municipal Council, there are about 9254 voters, out of which about 33% belong to the OBC.



The petitioners informed the Court that when they learnt that the respondents – State of Goa, through its Chief Secretary, Director of Municipal Administration and the Goa State Election Commission –have initiated the process to conduct elections for the Municipal Councils of Ponda and Sanquelim municipalities, some OBC persons approached Director of Municipal Administration and the Goa State Election Commission to find the number of seats reserved for the OBCs in the proposed elections to said Municipal Councils of Ponda and Sanquelim. It was learnt that no seats are reserved in these two Municipal Councils for the OBCs.



It was further submitted that the respondents are bent on holding the elections for the municipal councils of Ponda and Sanquelim without reserving seats for the other Backward Classes, therein in violation of and/or in contravention of the mandates contained in the said amended provisions of section 9 of the Municipalities Act, 1968.



The matter will be heard next week.