Amendment of section 56

Section 56 of the principal Act shall be substituted as follows, namely: - "(1) In every Kshettra Panchayat, seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Backward Classes and the number of seats so reserved shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in the Kshettra Panchayat as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the Panchayat area or of the Scheduled Tribes in the Panchayat area bears to the total population of such area. The number of seats 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 and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different territorial constituencies in a Kshettra Panchayat in such order as may be prescribed: 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 seats in Kshettra Panchayat: Provided further that if the reservation for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes is 50 percent of the total number of seats in the Kshettra Panchayat, 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 seats reserved under sub-section (1) shall be reserved for the women belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Backward Classes, as the case may be. (3) Not less than half of the total number of seats, including the number of seats reserved for women under sub-section (2) shall be reserved for women and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different territorial constituencies in a Kshettra Panchayat in such order as may be prescribed. (4) The reservation of seats 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."