PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ganesh Godiyal has said that the State government should convene a special session of Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha to discuss the ramification of the proposed increase in the number of assembly constituencies under the Women reservation bill and the delimitation commission exercise. He said that the Vidhan Sabha should pass a resolution to protect the assembly constituencies of the mountainous parts of the State in the next delimitation.
He said that the Narendra Modi government is planning to table a bill in the parliament to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the parliament and State legislative assemblies. Godiyal said that the number of seats in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State legislative assemblies will be increased proportionately and for this new delimitation of the constituencies will be done. Godiyal said that it is very likely that after the new delimitation, the number of seats in the Vidhan Sabha will increase to 105. He said that the population is the only criteria for deciding the size of a constituency in the delimitation exercise.
The Congress leader said that if this criteria is applied then the number of seats in the mountainous areas of the State will decrease proportionately. The PCC president in such a situation where the new delimitation of constituencies is likely after 2027, serious discussions in the society on the delimitation and its effect on the State should be held. He said that earnest efforts are needed to ensure that the number of seats in the mountainous areas are not reduced in the State. Godiyal suggested that the Vidhan Sabha should pass a resolution adopting a formula of 1:3 or 1:2 for seats in plains and mountainous areas of the State in the next delimitation.
Godiyal also added that serious discussion in Vidhan Sabha and outside should be held on the propriety of increasing assembly constituencies in the State. He said that creation of new constituencies will increase the financial burden on a small State like Uttarakhand.
