Local body polls: Officials busy in finalising ward reservations

Tirupati: The officials are working on finalisation of reservations to local body elections in the district. From Saturday officials are begin the selection reservation wards on the basis of AP state election commission direction.

Two days ago, state election commissioner Ramesh Kumar had issued guidelines to the officials on how to finalise reservations for elections to panchayats and wards.

Following the instructions, the district officials are working on to finalise wards reserved for SCs, STs, BCs and women candidates on the basis of 2011 census and recent voters list. Chittoor District Collector N Bharat Guptha fixed deadline of two days to officials for finalising the ward reservations.

In this connection all the sub-divisional magistrates held a review meeting in Tirupati, Chittoor and Madanapalli on Saturday over finalisation of sarpanch and ward reservations.

Presently in the district, there were 1,372 panchayats and 13,240 wards in villages. The term of panchayat sarpanches expired on first August, 2018. From that day EOs have been acting as special officer of the panchayats.

After state bifurcation forthcoming elections to the local bodies are held for the first time in the state. In the context officials are not considering rotation method for selection of reservation wards. Most likely old reservations may be repeated in coming local body elections.

Officials have started preparation of ballot papers printing too. It may be noted here that local body elections will be held only on ballot paper system.