The Andhra Pradesh government has announced a five-day schedule to identify Scheduled Tribe, Scheduled Caste, Backward Class and women voters for finalising seat reservations in 23 urban local bodies across the state. The process will run from October 25 to 29 under a government order issued by Municipal Administration principal secretary S. Suresh Kumar.
The schedule is set out in GO RT No. 1298, issued on Friday, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle. It covers the identification of voters, preparation of draft lists, receipt and disposal of claims and objections, field verification and finalisation of the lists.
The exercise involves four municipal corporations and 19 municipalities and nagar panchayats. It will determine the reservation lists to be used for seats representing Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and women in the covered urban local bodies.
The 23 urban local bodies included in the process are Srikakulam, Kakinada, Rajamahendravaram, Mangalagiri-Tadepalli, Amadalavalasa, Rajam, Bhimavaram, Tanuku, Palacole, Tadepalligudem, Chintalapudi, Tadigadapa, Gudivada, Ponnur, Bapatla, Narasaraopeta, Kandukur, Podili, Alluru, Gudur, Kavali, Srikalahasthi and B. Kothakota.
The sequence outlined in the order places draft-list preparation and public objections within the same five-day window as voter identification and field verification. Claims and objections are to be received and disposed of before the lists are finalised, according to the report.
The process gives residents and local stakeholders a formal stage to examine the draft lists and raise objections before finalisation. Field verification is also included in the schedule, indicating that the administration will undertake checks as part of the exercise rather than relying only on the initial identification process.
The order was issued by the state Municipal Administration department, which is responsible for coordinating the exercise across the municipal corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats covered by the notification. The report did not provide the proposed reservation allocation for individual wards or a separate timeline for any subsequent municipal election process.
The five-day schedule will begin on October 25 and conclude on October 29, when the lists are scheduled to be finalised under the process announced in GO RT No. 1298.
