40% seat reservation for women in Panchayat elections proposed

Gangtok, Sep 6 (UNI) The Sikkim government today proposed a forty per cent seat reservation for women in the coming state's Panchayat elections scheduled to be held in October.

Leader of the House and Chief Minister Pawan Chamling introduced the proposal as an amendment in the Sikkim Panchayat (Amendment) Bill during the first day of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly this morning. The bill also seeks to reserve seats for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Most Backward Class and Other Backward Class in every Gram Panchayat in proportion to their population.

Mr Chamling also introduced the Sikkim Prisons Bill. The state has no law enacted for management of prisons and has been presently following the West Bengal's Jail Manuel. The bill has been framed to consolidate all the matters relating to prisons in the state.

Two more amendment bills--Registration of Companies (Amendment Bill) and Sikkim Municipalities (First Amendment) Bill-were also introduced in the House today.

The Sikkim Municipalities (First Amendment) Bill seeks to increase the number of wards of Gangtok Municipal Corporation from 11 to 15. Municipality elections are slated for elections in the state next year.

The amendment in the Registration of Companies Act 1961 seeks to ensure speedy industrialization of the state and to attract more industries and companies.

Discussion and voting on all the bills will be held in the House.

tomorrow.

UNI