Speaker urges women to come forward

Kolkata, Feb 02 (UNI) Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today urged the fair sex to come forward to participate in different spheres of developmental activities for the overall advancement of the nation.

Speaking at a programme, organised by the Calcutta Port Trust Officers Wives' Association here, Mr Chatterjee said women empowerment was the need of the hour and added that the people belonging to fair sex should take active part in nation building activities.

He regretted that even after 60 years of Independence, the number of women MPs was less than nine per cent and violence against women was not decreasing.

Speaking on the occasion, State Housing and Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister Gautam Deb called for infrastructural development of Kolkata Port considering the importance of it in line with the ''Look East'' policy.

'' In the present era of globalisation importance of Kolkata Port is creasing and hence efforts should be made for its infrastructural development, '' Mr Deb said.

Eminent Bengali theatre personality Manoj Mitra was felicitated on the occasion with the ''Lifetime Achievement Award'' for his outstanding contribution to Bengali drama.

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