K'taka assembly passes bill to have delimitation commission

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill that seeks to provide for constitution of delimitation commission, and take away the State Election Commission's (SEC) power in carrying out the exercise, amid a Congress walk out.

The decision to set up a delimitation commission to redraw taluk and zilla panchayat constituencies, though the exercise has already been completed by the SEC, has given rise to suspicion that the government's intention is to postpone the panchayat polls.

Opposition Congress including its leader Siddaramaiah and H K Patil said that the government's intention with this bill is to put off the impending taluk and zilla panchayat elections.

However, Law Minister J C Madhuswamy defending the bill said, it is being brought to have a separate commission for delimitation, pointing out that nowhere in India the SEC had powers on delimitation.

There are 31 zilla panchayats and 232 taluk panchayats in Karnataka, which represents 30,000 villages in the state.

The polls were due for May-June this year, but it was put off due to the COVID-19 situation.

The bill amending the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act, 1993, in its statement of objects and reasons states that it provides for constitution of delimitation commission, participation of experts in the process of delimitation, powers and functions of the commission.

It said the delimitation commission shall call for objections from the public before making recommendation to the government.

The bill also noted that several writ petitions have been filed before the High Court of Karnataka, challenging the delimitation notification and reservation notification made by SEC as ''arbitrary, irrational, illegal and ultra varies of the constitution''.

The BJP is said to be in a hurry for the passage of the bill in both Houses before September 20, in time for a hearing in the High Court in connection with the panchayat polls.