50% quota for women in Punjab's local bodies

After announcing 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs, Punjab government has cleared the deck for increasing the reservation of women from 33 to 50 per cent in Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies.

The decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting held under Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in Chandigarh, ahead of the first Budget session.

The draft Bill to amend the Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911 and the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, will be placed in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha budget session, commencing on Wednesday.

The amendment will help empower women in the rural areas by enhancing their reservation quota in the direct elections for the members of gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishads, besides municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats.

The representation of women in the offices of sarpanches of gram panchayats, chairmen panchayats samitis/zila parishads besides mayors of municipal corporations and presidents of municipal councils/nagar panchayats will also be enhanced accordingly.

Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are some other states which have provided 50 per cent reservation to women in the Panchayati Raj institutions.