Punjab and Haryana High Court upholds block-level roster for Panchayat SC/ST reservations

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that reservation rosters for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Gram Panchayats should be determined by the population proportion of these communities within a block, rather than at the district level. This decision by the division bench of Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Sudeepti Sharma is significant as it is aligned with amendments made to the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, and the associated 1994 Rules.

The bench observed that Section 12(1) of the 1994 Act initially required the proportion of SC and ST reservations to be calculated at the district level. However, Rule 3(1) was later amended to refer specifically to the block as the basis for creating and rotating reservation rosters. The court asserted that this adjustment was aimed to achieve a more precise representation for SC and ST populations within various Panchayat constituencies. The bench was of the view that a shift from the district to block-level reference was intended to decentralise the reservation system and promote equitable representation.

The court reasoned that the reservation roster at the block level was aligned more closely with the constitutional intent to enhance local representation.

The Article 243-D stipulates that the reservation framework should reflect the proportion of SC and ST populations within the relevant Panchayat area.

The Article did not specify “district” as the standard unit for this calculation. This omission, the bench pointed out, supported a decentralised approach that reflects demographic realities at the most appropriate level—the block. According to the court, maintaining the reservation roster at the district level could lead to discrepancies where smaller or isolated SC and ST populations are inadequately represented. By referencing the block, the reservation benefits extend proportionally to these communities, ensuring fair access to democratic representation.

The bench further observed that the block-based roster system would prevent underrepresentation in cases where SC and ST populations were concentrated within specific panchayats. Emphasising that the amended rule adhered to constitutional principles, the bench also upheld the legislative intent to decentralise reservation frameworks.