PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The reservation plan for the position of president district Panchayat in the 12 districts of the State proposed by the State administration is being criticised by the opposition Congress.
The Panchayati Raj department has proposed to keep the posts of presidents of district Panchayats of Almora, Bageshwar, Dehradun, Pauri, Rudraprayag and Tehri reserved for women. The department has invited objections on the reservation plan till August 6.
The Congress in particular is miffed at the decision of the State government to keep the post of President District Panchayat of Dehradun reserved for women. The party has fared better than the ruling BJP in Dehradun district in the recent Panchayat elections and the Congress stalwart Pritam Singh was planning to anoint his son Abhishek Singh- who has won from Barnard Basteel district Panchayat seat- on this coveted position. However, with the government reserving the seat for women, the plan of Pritam Singh has hit a roadblock.
Opposing the decision, Singh said that the post of President Dehradun district Panchayat has been kept reserved for women for the third time in a row which is unconstitutional. He has also threatened to challenge the decision in the court.
The chief spokesperson of Uttarakhand Congress, Garima Dasauni alleged that large scale irregularities have been done in releasing the reservation status of president district Panchayats. She said that the government in its order dated June 11, 2025 clearly states that the population will be the criteria of reservation and the reservation percentage will be determined by dividing the population with 13 districts.
Dasauni said that instead of dividing the population by 13, the government divided it with 12 which has put up a question mark on the entire process of reservation of district Panchayat president seats.
She added that the government released the reservation status of the president district Panchayats after the end of the election process which is against the tradition.
Referring to the historic decision of the Supreme Court in the ‘ Suresh Mahajan versus Madhya Pradesh government’, the court has mandated a triple test for determining reservation. Under it a commission should be constituted for social realities. She said that in Uttarakhand Justice Verma commission was constituted for the purpose but its recommendations were side-lined.
Dasauni said that the Dhami government has got frightened by Pritam Singh and crushing defeat in Chakrata has shocked BJP. She said that the BJP now wants to ensure victory of Madhu Chauhan on post of president district Panchayat but the Congress party will not allow this conspiracy to succeed.
