Supreme Court gives 8 weeks deadline for BBMP ward delimitation, OBC quota
BBMP ward restructuring: Will govt issue notification a week before deadline?
Bengaluru: The Supreme Court Friday said that necessary notifications regarding delimitation of wards and determining reservation percentage for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) be notified within eight weeks.
The apex court also noted that the process of delimitation of wards is at the "final stage" and formal notification will be issued shortly by Karnataka.
The top court said it has been urged before it that the State may be permitted to issue notification regarding delimitation within eight weeks. A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and J B Pardiwala observed that the State has also assured putting in all efforts to ensure that the work assigned to the dedicated commission concerning the determination of reservation would be completed within the same time.
"The assurance given on behalf of Karnataka is placed on record and is accepted," it said. The bench said that necessary notifications regarding delimitation of wards or be it for determining reservation percentage for the newly constituted corporation be completed and notified, not later than eight weeks from today. The top court was hearing a plea related to conducting polls for the BBMP, whose term ended on September 10, 2020.
The apex court said the Karnataka State Election Commission (SEC) shall thereafter commence the preparatory exercise for conducting elections to install the newly elected body of the greater Bengaluru Corporation, constituted under Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Act 2020.
It said the SEC can commence that exercise within one week from the date of notification of delimitation of wards and/or determination of reservation to be provided for OBCs based on recommendations made by the dedicated commission, whichever is later. The bench said once the SEC initiates the process, it must take the same to its logical end in accordance with law as expeditiously as possible.
The apex court posted the matter for further hearing on July 22. Earlier, the Karnataka government had sought an urgent hearing of its pending plea against the high court verdict asking the SEC to hold elections in 198 wards of the BBMP.