Today, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea, on the issue of reservation of seats for women in panchayats.

The petitioner, in its plea claiming a proxy process was being followed where men were operating behind women in these elections, and permitted the petitioner to make a representation to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

The division bench comprising Justices S K Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia said

“We are not an executive authority,”

During the Court hearing, the counsel for the petitioner submits the plea pertains to the Constitution (Seventy-third Amendment) Act, 1992 which relates to representation of women at the grass roots level in rural self-government bodies.

Further, the counsel said the legislature body passed the law over 30 years ago but the executive has failed to implement it, and the apex court can direct formation of a committee to look into this issue.

“You say it is being done by proxy. Can we preclude women from contesting?” the bench observed, adding, “It is an evolutionary process”.

The top court asked the petitioner’s counsel whether they have made any representation to any government department about it.