Reservation for Chairpersons

(1) There shall be reserved by the Government, in the prescribed manner such number of offices of Chairpersons in Panchayats at every level in the State for the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the number of such offices, bearing as may be the same proportion to the total number of offices in the State as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the State or of the Scheduled Tribes in the State bears to the population of the State. (2) One-half of offices of Chairpersons reserved in each category, for persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and of the non-reserved offices in the Panchayats at every level shall be reserved for women. (3) The State Government may, by general or special order, reserve such number of offices of chairpersons for persons belonging to Backward Classes in Panchayats at every level, not exceeding the proportion to the total number of offices to be filled by direct election in the Panchayat as the population of the persons belonging to Backward Classes in the State bears to the total population of the State and may further reserve one-half of the total seats reserved under this sub-section for women belonging to Backward Classes.