Amendment of section 10-A

In the principal Act, section 10-A shall be substituted as follows, namely:- "(1) The State Government shall by, order, reserve offices of Pradhans for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Backward Classes. The number of offices of Pradhans reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the State shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of such offices as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the State or the Scheduled Tribes in the State bears to the total population of the State. The number of offices of Pradhans reserved for the Backward Classes shall be in such proportion as determined by the State Government in accordance with the recommendations made by the Dedicated Commission on the basis of contemporary in-depth empirical inquiry: Provided that the total reservation for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Backward Classes shall not exceed 50 percent of the total number of offices of Pradhans: Provided further that if the total reservation for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes is 50 percent of the total number of offices of Pradhans, there shall be no reservation for the Backward Classes: Provided also that if the figures of population of the Backward Classes are not available, their population may be determined by carrying out a survey in the prescribed manner. (2) Not less than half of the total number of offices of Pradhans reserved under sub-section (1) shall be reserved for the women belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Backward Classes. (3) Not less than half of the total number of offices of Pradhans, including the number of offices of Pradhans reserved under sub-section (2), shall be reserved for women. (4) The offices of Pradhans reserved under this section shall be allotted by rotation to different Gram Panchayats in such order as may be prescribed. (5) The reservation of offices of Pradhans for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes under this section shall cease to have effect on the expiration of the period specified in Article 334 of the Constitution of India. Explanation- Nothing in this section shall prevent the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the Backward Classes and the women from contesting election to unreserved seats."