50% quota for women in all tiers of panchayat raj

NEW DELHI: The UPA government on Thursday raised reservation for women at all tiers of the panchayat raj system from 33 to at least 50 per cent.

The Cabinet, presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, also cleared the proposal to amend Article 243(D) of the Constitution for the purpose. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been directed to draft a bill for making the amendment.

Panchayati Raj Minister C.P. Joshi said the bill, providing for greater participation of women in the public sphere, would be moved in the next session of Parliament.

The Urban Development Ministry would also initiate a similar proposal soon to enhance women’s representation in urban local bodies.

The proposed amendment seeks to increase reservation for women in the number of seats to be filled by direct election for the office of chairperson, right from the panchayat to the panchayat samiti and the zilla parishad.

Even with respect to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, reservation for women will stand enhanced to a minimum of 50 per cent within the quota reserved for these two categories. Since there is no reservation at the Central level for other backward classes, it would be up to the State governments to increase the quota for women under this segment as well, Mr. Joshi clarified.

As and when provided for in the Constitution, the law will be applicable in all States except Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram, tribal areas of Assam and Tripura and hill areas of Manipur.

The panchayat raj system being a State subject, it would be the prerogative of the States concerned, where the quota for women is less than 50 per cent, to formulate their own rules to implement the provision once it is made part of the Constitution.

Currently, the representation of women is 36.87 per cent of the 28.18 lakh elected panchayat representatives. The number of women representatives will go up to over 14 lakh after the proposed Constitution amendment.