Women's reservation bills: Jaya thanks legislators for support

Chennai, Feb 21: A day after Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted two bills to increase women's reservation in urban and rural local bodies to 50 per cent, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa thanked the legislators for their support.

It was her "strong conviction" that cities and rural areas will develop faster if there were more women representatives in local bodies as a result of enhanced reservation for them, she said.

"Therefore, I directed that reservation for women in seats in urban local bodies and village panchayats be increased from one-third to 50 per cent," she said. Subsequently, the government moved amendments which was "unanimously" adopted in the state Assembly, she said.

"I express my thanks and felicitations to Members of the Legislative Assembly, who helped pass tbe bills to ensure 50 per cent for women in local bodies," she said in a statement. The initiative was part of her government's efforts towards further empowering womnen, she said.

PTI