Quota for women in TN local bodies increased to 50 per cent

Chennai, Feb 20: In an effort to further promote women empowerment, Tamil Nadu Assembly today unanimously adopted two bills, increasing the reservation for women in seats in urban local bodies and village panchayats to 50 per cent.

The adoption of the amendment bills pave the way for increasing reservation for women from the present one-third of the total number of seats and posts.

Municipal corporations, municipalities, town panchayats, village panchayats, panchayat union councils and District Panchayats in the state would now earmark 50 per cent of seats and offices for women.

Tamil Nadu government's move to increase the quota comes at a time when the Centre is seriously working on increasing the reservation of women to 50 per cent in all tiers of local bodies from the present 33 per cent.

"The government has considered it necessary to increase the percentage of reservation for women from one-third of the total number of seats and offices to one-half, so as to promote women empowerment and to facilitate the participation of women in urban and rural development," the statement of objects and reasons of the amendment bills said.

Tamil Nadu Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and Tamil Nadu Panchayats (Amendment) Bill, 2016 were introduced by Minister for Municipal Administration, S P Velumani and adopted unanimously by the House.

Through the Bills, a slew of municipal laws and the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994 were suitably amended to increase the reservation for women to 50 per cent.

PTI