New Delhi: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP from Puri Pinaki Misra Tuesday urged the government to bring a Bill in the House for granting 50 per cent reservation to women in panchayat elections.
Speaking in the Lower House during the Question Hour, the BJD Parliamentary Party leader said that the BJD government in Odisha has given 50 per cent reservation to the women in panchayats.
“Women reservation in panchayat elections is very important. Earlier, the former chief minister of Odisha Biju Patnaik ji had reserved 1/3 seats in panchayat elections for women which is now increased to 50 per cent by Naveen Patnaik ji. But it has not been implemented nationwide. According to Article 243 (D) of the Constitution, Parliament has the power to make provision of giving 50 per cent reservation to women in panchayat bodies,” said Pinaki Misra.
He further said that it is a very important issue and urged the government to consider initiative of granting 50 per cent reservation to women across the country.
“Today we have 78 women MPs in the House. We want over 200-250 women to be elected to this House and for that reservation in panchayat bodies is important. Will the government bring in a legislation to this effect in the House and get it passed,” said Misra.
In his reply, Union Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that there are many states in the country which have granted 50 per cent reservation to women in panchayat elections. He further said that there are 2,53,380 panchayats in the country which elect 31 lakh people as their representatives and out of that 14.39 lakh are women representatives. Tomar also said that the Union government is considering this issue.