New Delhi, July 17: To break the deadlock over the contentious Women’s Reservation Bill — it has been stiffly opposed in its present form by parties like the Samajwadi Party which accused the Left of ramming it through — the Parliamentary Committee on the Bill has suggested that it should be left to the state legislatures to propose adequate representation in Vidhan Sabhas and Lok Sabha for women and Other Backward Class (OBC) citizens.

The reasoning behind the “compromise formula” is that state legislatures are better placed to decide the extent of representation in elected posts for women and OBCs. But women groups and NGOs who have called for clearing the Bill in its present form are likely to oppose this formula.

Sources said the draft recommendation was circulated today among members of the committee so that they could place it before their respective political parties. They have been asked to revert to the committee by August 1.

It is learnt that the committee, headed by Congress Rajya Sabha MP E M Sudarsana Natchiappan, considered the reservation given to OBC candidates in educational institutions and government service as also the 73rd amendment to the Constitution which provides for reservation in panchayats for OBCs under Article 243 D (6).

“On the basis of inputs received by us from different parties, groups, NGOs and citizens, we are working on a compromise formula. It has been circulated to all committee members with a request that their parties give their opinion on August 1. If there is unanimity, we will pass the draft report. Otherwise, we will leave it open for it to be considered by the reconstituted committee,” Natchiappan told The Indian Express.

The term of the committee ends on August 4.

Incidentally, the amendment that provides for reservation to OBCs in panchayats has been adopted by 17 states. Tamil Nadu and Kerala are among the states that have not adopted it.

Today, SP general secretary Amar Singh, who was scheduled to present his party’s arguments against the Bill, missed his date with the panel. But his party MP Ram Gopal Yadav, who is a member of the panel, gave a letter from Singh. It is learnt that apart from reiterating the SP’s opposition to the Bill in its present form and seeking reservation for OBCs and minorities, the letter suggests that the proposal of the Election Commission with regard to reservation for women could be a way out of the logjam.

The EC proposal calls for political parties deciding on their own the reservation for women candidates while deciding candidates for elected bodies. The SP letter also says the Bill should not be passed in haste.

It is learnt that the Parliamentary Committee is planning to hold sittings in Patna and Lucknow from July 28-31.

The BJP has already offered to support the Bill in its present form. The party has also said in case others have any fresh proposal, it could discuss it within the party and get back to the panel. According to the BJP, the EC proposal which says that each party reserve 33 per cent seats for women can also be adopted.