SC wards not commensurate with population: Activists

The Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) and dalit organisations have objected to only 15 wards reserved for scheduled castes (SCs) for the BMC polls scheduled next year saying the number of wards should be double considering the SC population. The PWP has written a letter to the State Election Commission (SEC) pointing out discrepancies in the reservation of SC wards since 1992.

Going by the Constitution, SCs should get 13 per cent reservation which translates into at least 30 wards being reserved. However, only 15 wards have been reserved for next year, after delimitation. Eleven wards were reserved each in 2015 and 2007; 15 were reserved in 2002; 14 in 1997;

and 10 in 1992. “Wards should be based on population of SCs. But data shows that it varies every year. Wards designed are vague and do not properly represent the population. Sometimes, population is high and sometimes, it is low when in reality, the dalit population in Mumbai is always increasing. There has to be some fixed pattern while defining SC wards in delimitation. But SEC is not able to explain the formula for SC wards,” said Advocate Raju Korde, member secretary, PWP.

He said that while the total population of SCs in Mumbai is 10 per cent, 2017 ward delimitation shows that it is 6.5 per cent. Advocate Korde has written to SEC questioning the latter’s method of defining SC wards.

He also attended a hearing regarding designing of wards last week. “The hearing was just a formality and nothing else. They heard us and noted down our queries,” he said.

When contacted, SEC chief, J.S. Saharia, refuted all such allegations and said that the process was as per the law. “We have done the delimitation process as per the law,” he stressed.