'OBC reservation in local bodies will not come down'

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday sought to allay the concerns arising out of an ordinance passed by the state government over the proportion of OBC reservation in the Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis.

According to the provisions of the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Act, 1961, offices of the sarpanch, chairperson of the Panchayat Samiti and the president of the Zilla Parishad are reserved for the SCs and STs based on the proportion of their population. There is a flat 27 per cent reservation for the OBCs.

The government recently issued an ordinance on the OBC quota in local bodies in the wake of a petition filed in the Bombay High Court objecting to the violation of 50 per cent quota ceiling in these bodies.

"In some districts, the number of seats for OBCs was reduced due to the 50 per cent quota limit. By introducing the ordinance, we have restored those affected seats. The reservation will not come down till this government is in power," the CM told reporters.