Maharashtra for 50% quota for women in local bodies….Sanjay Jog
Political parties are planning to nominate 50 per cent women to local bodies like the Gram Panchayat (GP), Panchayat Samiti (PS) and Zilla Parishad (ZP), municipal corporations and municipal councils across Maharashtra.
The Congress-led state government is spearheading the move to increase representation to 50 per cent from the existing 33 per cent to empower women. The state cabinet is expected to give its formal approval at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday. The state government may subsequently bring in a legislation to during the ensuing budget session beginning March 14.
Parties will have to identify and give candidature to a record 1,30,734 women in the local bodies during elections. The parties will also have to nominate nearly 1,859 women candidates in elections to 169 municipal councils slated for September this year. About 980 women candidates have to be nominated during the elections to the 33 zilla parishads slated for February-March 2012.
We will introduce the bill of giving 50 per cent reservation to women in local government bodies in the ensuing budget session of the state legislature, said Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. The Centre has already taken a decision to give 50 per cent quota to women and the state government will abide by it, he said.
Nirmala Samant-Prabhavalkar, a former Mumbai city mayor and a Congress leader told Business Standard: It is truly a women’s day gift. The objective is empowerment of women and bringing them in the political mainstream is important. The Congress party has been at the forefront to empower women and it has once again taken a lead to increase reservation to 50 per cent in local bodies.
Congress ally the Nationalist Congress Party on February 27 had proposed to increase womens quota to 50 per cent at a work shop on Panchayati Raj Institutions. NCP chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had asked his ministers to meet the CM and make the demand.
Manda Mhatre, a former NCP legislator said the government’s move would give ample opportunities to women workers who are working tirelessly, especially at the grass roots level.
The government’s move will go a long way as it will also give justice to small workers who keep on doing their party work without much expectations. However, Kanta Nalawade, former chief of BJP’s national women wing sid the increase in quota for women should not be grabbed by families of politicians to accomodate their women relatives. Instead, party workers at various levels should be given nomination during elections to the local bodies. Neela Satyanarayan, a retired IAS officer and the incumbent state election commissioner welcomed the government’s proposal. The state election commission is implementing the Kranti Jyoti scheme to make women representatives competent to handle governance. She said empowerment of women is critical in nation building. Nagesh Kesari, director of VS Page Parliamentary Training Centre, said the Centre can provide necessary training to women elected representatives on matters relating to the workings of local bodies.