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50 per cent panchayat seats for women

Staff Correspondent

Madhya Pradesh Assembly passes several Bills on last day of the session

BHOPAL: The budget session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly came to an end on Friday and the House was adjourned sine die with the passage of several Bills, including the Madhya Pradesh Panchayat Raj evam Gram Swaraj (Sanshodhan) Bill and the Madhya Pradesh Nagarpalik Vidhi (Sanshodhan) Bill to grant 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayats and local bodies.

The Madhya Pradesh Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill was moved by the Minister for Panchayat and Rural Development while the Bill to amend the Nagarpalik Act was moved by the Minister for Local Administration and Development, Jayant Malaiya.

Private varsities

The House also passed the Madhya Pradesh Niji Vishwavidyalala (Sthapna evam Sanchalan) Bill, which paves the way for setting up private universities in the State and another Bill to establish the Maharshi Patanjali Sanskrit Sansthan. Members cutting across party lines supported the Bills to extend 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayats and local bodies.

Participating in the discussion, CPI member Ramlakhan Sharma said: "We cannot empower women or protect their dignity merely by reservation. We would have to protect their rights and work to spread awareness among them." He also drew attention towards the women panchayat (conclave) convened recently at Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan's initiative and said such panchayats should be held at the district level and all elected women representatives as well as those who have even contested elections should be invited to attend these panchayats.

Taking a dig at the Chief Minister, he went on to advise that he could justify his concern for women by giving ministerial berths to 50 per cent of the women MLAs from the ruling party.

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50 per cent panchayat seats for women

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