Specify formula under which seat reserved for women, says High Court

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 29

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked Punjab to specify the formula under which the Mohali Mayor’s seat was reserved for women. The query by the Bench, headed by Justice Hemant Gupta, came in a case hovering around the reservation for the Mayor’s post.

The HC has already issued a notice of motion to the independent councillors of the Mohali MC on the appeal of the Punjab Government against the single Bench orders, setting aside the decision to reserve the Mayor’s post for a woman candidate.

The Bench issued the notice after taking up an appeal filed by Punjab for quashing the April 20 orders. The single judge had earlier allowed petitions against the move to reserve the Mayor’s post for women in Mohali.

In one of the petitions against the State of Punjab, the Director, Department of Local Government, and another respondent, Amrik Singh, had sought directions for quashing the March letter whereby the Mayor’s post stood reserved for women.

Counsel for the petitioners Deepinder Singh Patwalia and Puneet Gupta had contended that the action was “totally contrary” to the Punjab Municipal Council Act, 1976, as well as the 1996 Rules framed there under, on reservation of the Mayor’s offices in corporations. Directions were sought to provide reservation for women and the SCs as per the 1996 Rules and its schedule.

see also p5