Delimitation panel term extended by one year

The term of the Delimitation Commission, set up to readjust constituencies of the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies, has been extended by one year till July 31, 2008. This is the second extension for the commission.

Constituted under the Delimitation Act, 2002, it was initially given a term of two years to complete the work of delimiting the constituencies. The Act provided for a readjustment of the territorial constituencies for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies without affecting the total number of seats allocated to each state on the basis of 1971 census.

The Act, however, was amended to replace figures of 1991 census by those of 2001.

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Another task of the commission is to refix seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies on the basis of population census.

Headed by Justice Shri Kuldeep Singh, the commission became functional in December 2002. Its other members are Chief Election Commissioner of India and Election Commissioner of the state concerned where the delimitation process is going on.