50 pc reservation for women in MP panchayats

Bhopal, Mar 30 (UNI) Members of both ruling and opposition parties in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly today supported a bill providing 50 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj bodies.

Piloting the Madhya Pradesh Panchayati Raj and Gram Swaraj (Amendment) Bill, 2007, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Rustam Singh said that the amendment was being made to enhance reservation for women from one-third to half.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) member Ramlakhan Sharma complimented Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for taking the lead in reserving 50 per cent posts in panchayats for women. He suggested that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government should adopt better practices being followed in Left-ruled states to strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions.

Initiating the debate, Mr Satyadev Katare (Cong) sought clarification from the Minister by saying that the amendment provisions were vague. He questioned the intention of the BJP regime behind granting such reservation while referring to removal of Ms Uma Bharti as Chief Minister.

''The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh owes its existence to Ms Bharti, who is now roaming the streets,'' he said.

Dr I M P Verma (Bahujan Samaj Party) sought reservation for Backward Classes in Panchayati Raj bodies and pointed out that the Constitution did not provide for reservation on the basis of gender.

Ms Archana Chitnis and Mr Durgalal Vijay (both BJP) and Mr Ramniwas Rawat (Cong) also took part in the debate.

UNI