Bhubaneswar: Odisha govt is weighing restoration of a 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in next year’s panchayat polls by fulfilling the Supreme Court-mandated “triple test”, panchayati raj minister Rabi Narayan Naik said on Tuesday.In 2022, the OBC quota was scrapped following judicial intervention over the lack of empirical data on backward class’ population and representation. The triple test requires states to constitute a dedicated commission to conduct an empirical inquiry into the nature and extent of backwardness of OBCs in local bodies, specify reservation proportion based on the commission’s recommendations, and ensure that the aggregate reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs does not exceed 50%. Though Odisha had formed an OBC commission in Feb 2020, it had not compiled the empirical data on backward classes.“The matter of providing reservation to OBCs/socially and economically backward classes (SEBCs) in the upcoming panchayat election is under examination by the state govt,” Naik said in the assembly.In a written response to a question by BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain, Naik said, “The state had to amend Orissa Grama Panchayat Act, 1964, Orissa Panchayat Samiti Act, 1959, and Orissa Zilla Parishad Act, 1991 in 2021 following SC’s “triple test” mandate in the K Krishna Murthy case and subsequent directions of Orissa high court. The amendments capped the combined reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs at 50%, impacting the earlier provision of 27% reservation for OBCs/SEBCs.”In Dec 2021, the high court had directed the state election commission to conduct panchayat polls without OBC reservation after observing that the state had failed to furnish empirical data to justify the quantum of quota for backward classes. Consequently, the 2022 three-tier panchayat elections were held without OBC reservation, while seats earmarked for the category were converted into unreserved constituencies.“The state could not implement the 27% OBC quota in the 2022 panchayat elections as the provision was challenged before the high court on the ground that the mandatory triple test exercise had not been completed. Faced with legal hurdles, the govt withdrew the quota before the polls,” Naik added.Officials said a final decision will depend on compliance with the legal requirements laid down by the apex court.