Women Reservation Bill for PRIs on anvil

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Union given nod to constitutional amendment

Union cabinet has given nod to a proposal to bring about a Constitutional Amendment Bill to provide for 50 per cent reservation to women in panchayats. It is said, as the imitation of Bihar's model, now it is the turn of Union to do the same.

CJ: Om Prakash Yadav

Fri, Aug 28, 2009 16:41:20 IST

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THE UNION government has decided to provide 50 per cent reservations to the women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). A proposal to give effect to this provision has been taken by the Cabinet, which met in New Delhi. The Bill, the government said, would be tabled in the coming session of Parliament. This would necessitate a constitutional amendment; therefore the proposed bill will be in a Constructional Amendment Bill form and would amend Article 243(D) of the Constitution of India. This article provides for reservation of one third of seats in PRIs for the women.

It is being interpreted as a major step in the area of empowerment of women in the country. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, which conferred constitutional status on the PRIs, brought in by Rajiv Gandhi was a land mark in the field of devolution of power at grass root level and was regarded as the first serious attempt to visualise the dream of Gandhi. Although the framers of Constitution had enshrined in the Constitution, the directives principles of state policy, the devolution could not be made till the 73rd Constitutional Amendment was brought in.

Bihar, under Nitish Kumar, became the first state to provide reservation up to half the total number of seats to the women by enacting a law called Bihar ‘Panchayati Raj Act’ in the year 2005 ie, just after coming to power in the state. This legislation was hailed through out the length and breadth of the country by people across party lines and from different walks of life. Subsequently, two years after the huge success of this provision in terms of wider participation of women especially from scheduled castes (SCs,) most backward castes (MBCs) and other back ward castes (OBCs) in the elections held, the Bihar government enacted similar legislations for providing reservation to women in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) also. The Bihar model of reservation to the women in ULBs and PRIs paved way for many states to legislate on similar patterns. States like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have also made similar provisions.

Now with the proposed constitutional amendment, it would be mandatory on the part of all the federating units and UTs to legislate provisions for women up to 50 per cent in near future. This constitutional amendment will again bring to the fore, the Women’s Reservation Bill, which has now gone in to oblivion. The civil society must rise above and exert pressure on the government to pass the legislation and cherish the goal of women empowerment. Bihar has played the role model and now it is the turn of Union to do the same.

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