Section 3W in Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920
3W. Reservation of seats.
(1)Seats shall be reserved for the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in every town panchayat and the number of seats so reserved shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in that town panchayat as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the town panchayat area, or of the Scheduled Tribes in that town panchayat area, bears to the total population of that area.(2)Seats shall be reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes from among the seats reserved for the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes which shall not be less than one-third of the total number of seats reserved for the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.(3)Seats shall be reserved for women in the town panchayat and the number of seats reserved for women shall not be less than one-third (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes of the total number of seats in the town panchayat.(4)(a)The offices of the chairmen of the town panchayats shall be reserved for the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and the number of offices so reserved shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of offices in the State as the population of the Scheduled Castes in all the town panchayats in the State or the Scheduled Tribes in all the town panchayats in the State, bears to the total population of all the town panchayats in the State.(b)The offices of the chairmen of the town panchayats shall be reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes from among the offices reserved for the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes which shall not be less than one-third of the total number of offices reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.(5)The offices of the chairmen of the town panchayats shall be reserved for women and the number of offices reserved for women shall not be less than one-third (including the number of offices reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of offices of the chairmen of the town panchayats in the State:Provided that the offices reserved under this sub-section and under subsection (4) shall be allotted by rotation to different town panchayats in such manner as may be prescribed.(6)The reservation of seats under sub-sections (1) and (2) and the reservation of offices of chairmen under sub-section (4) shall cease to have effect on the expiration of the period specified in Article 334 of the Constitution.
