Section 7A. Reservation of the offices of Pramukh

1[7-A. (1) The offices of the Pramukhs of Kshettra Panchayats in the State shall be reserved for the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the backward classes: Provided that the number of office of the Pramukhs so reserved shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of such offices in the State as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the State or of Scheduled Tribes in the State or of the backward classes in the State bears to the total population of the State and the offices so reserved may be allotted by rotation to different Kshettra Panchayats in the State in such order as may be prescribed ; Provided further that the reservation for the backward classes shall not exceed twenty-seven per cent of total number of offices of Pramukhs in the State. 2[Provided also that if the figures fo 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 one-third of the offices reserved under subsection (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 one-third of the total number of offices of Pramukhs including the number of offices reserved under sub-section (2), shall be reserved for women and such offices may be allotted by rotation to different Kshettra Panchayats in the State in such order as may be prescribed. (4) The reservation of the offices of Pramukhs 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. Explanation :- It is clarified that nothing in this section shall prevent the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the backward classes, and the women from contesting election to unreserved offices.