New Delhi (TIP)-  In yet another setback to the Maharashtra government, Supreme Court on Thursday, March 3, rejected the interim report of the State Backward Classes Commission, which had recommended restoration of 27% quota for Other Backward Classes in local bodies.

“The report itself mentions that the same is being prepared in absence of empirical study and research by the commission. Having failed to do so, the Commission should not have filed the interim report,” said a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and C T Ravikumar.

“As a result, it is not possible to permit any authority, much less the State Election Commission, to act upon the recommendations made in the said report. For the time being, we do not intend to dilate on the correctness of each of the observations made by the commission in the interim report. We, however, direct all concerned not to act upon the interim report as submitted,” the court said.

The bench also directed the State Election Commission to notify the election process in local bodies where it is due without further delay and to comply with its earlier order by which it had directed that the OBC seats be treated as general category ones. On December 6, 2021, the apex court had stayed elections to the 27 per cent OBC category in Maharashtra local bodies, stating that the state government before deciding to earmark the quota had not followed the mandatory triple-test laid down by it.

          Source: The Indian Express