Women's reservation in MP committees

Bhopal, Feb 6 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today announced during a 'Van (forest) Panchayat' that a third of forest committee presidents' posts would be reserved for women while either the forest committee president or vice-president would have to compulsorily be a woman.

''The rate for a standard sack of tendu leaf will now be Rs 450 instead of Rs 400,'' he said during the event organised at his residence.

The state's Bharatiya Janata Party government hiked the encouragement allowance, by 10 per cent, to 60 per cent of the income from tendu leaf. A sum of Rs 18 crore will begin to be distributed under this head within a month.

Forest-dwellers with 15-year land deeds expiring this year will now hold these deeds until the time they receive permanent ones.

UNI