Punjab Assembly passes resolution pressing for Women's Reservation Bill

The Punjab Assembly Friday passed a resolution pressing the Centre to ensure the passage of a bill to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and legislative assemblies.

The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and was passed by voice vote.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had recently written to chief ministers of Congress-ruled states to move the resolution.

The Women's Reservation Bill, pending in Parliament because of lack of consensus among parties, lapsed when the 15th Lok Sabha was dissolved in 2014.

The resolution reminded that the Punjab government has already reserved 50 per cent seats in urban local bodies and the panchayati raj institutions for women.

Amarinder Singh said reservation in legislatures would fulfil a legitimate and long-pending demand of women to ensure their empowerment.

Singh said the Congress government had ensured passage of the Bill in Rajya Sabha but it lapsed in the Lok Sabha due to the indifferent attitude of the opposition.

Once passed, the Bill would reserve 181 seats out the 543 in the Lok Sabha and earmark 1,370 assembly seats out of the total 4,109 across the nation for women, he told the House.

Congress MLA Raj Kumar Chabbewal said the step would increase the status of women in society.

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Rupinder Kaur Ruby said women from the Scheduled Castes should also get representation in the Bill.