NEW DELHI: The Election Commission has asked the Cabinet Secretary to defer consideration of the `OBC Quota Bill' providing for reservation to the Other Backward Communities in IITs and IIMs and other institutions till the completion of the ongoing election process in the five States.

The SCs, STs and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes of Citizens (reservation of seats in educational institutions) Bill, 2006 seeks to give 27 per cent reservation of seats in educational institutions established by the Central Government.

Cabinet note sent

Briefing presspersons, Deputy Election Commissioners R. Bhattacharya and R. Balakrishnan said that the Human Resource Development Ministry had sent a Cabinet note seeking the Commission's opinion before taking up the Bill for consideration.

They said: "The Commission has conveyed its opinion to the HRD Ministry that it will be desirable to defer consideration of the Bill by the Cabinet till the election process in five States are over."

Asked whether HRD Minister Arjun Singh had taken any decision on the issue of alleged violation of model code of conduct, they said initially the Cabinet Secretary sent only half reply and he was asked to send full particulars. Similarly the details sought by Mr. Singh were provided to him seeking his reply by April 21 and the time has been extended till April 24. Only after the receipt of full reply, the Commission would decide on the future course of action, they said.

Office of profit

On the issue of `office of profit', they said that so far there had been references in respect of 43 MPs and 216 MLAs. In most of these cases, the complainants were asked to furnish additional information and only in a few cases, notices were sent to the MPs/MLAs concerned seeking their reply. They said the Commission was considering putting all the information on the Commission's website.

Asked whether the Commission would prefer an appeal against the order of a single judge of the Kerala High Court quashing the Commission's order directing the State to defer signing of the agreement for establishing the Smart City Project in Kochi, they said that the appeal would be filed before a Division Bench within the statutory time limit. They said that the single judge had not addressed many of the issues highlighted by the Commission. Hence the need for filing an appeal, they said.

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