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Government faulted on ward delimitation

CUTTACK: Equipped with a favourable order from Orissa High Court, a former corporator of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) on Monday approached the State Election Commissioner (SEC) challenging a government notification regarding delimitation of wards and reservation of seats in CMC.

Chiranjay Sahu, a former BJD corporator, has claimed that the reservation of seats for the forthcoming civic polls has been done in an arbitrary manner with an ulterior motive. Mr. Sahu says that the ward No. 38 to which he represents should have been declared an unreserved seat as per the “rotation” of seats formula adopted by the authorities.

“Instead, my ward has been reserved for general category women which has been done with an aim to keep me away from the forthcoming civic polls,” Mr. Sahu has alleged. He claims that the women population of his ward does not merit the seat to be reserved for women.

This anomaly was brought to the notice of Director, Municipal Administrator. When he did not respond, Mr. Sahu moved the High Court praying to quash the government notification.

Declining to interfere in poll-related matters and not in favour of delaying the poll processes further, a bench of HC comprising Justice I.M. Qudusi and Justice B.P. Ray disposed off the petition with a rider. The bench has also observed that in case the petitioner approaches the SEC, the grievance shall be considered in accordance with law as SEC has superintendence and control over the matter.

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