Women's bill to be tabled, but uncertainty persists
Nov 24, 2006 - 12:28:56 AM
, Reviewed by: Priya Saxena
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Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who has been holding discussions with various parties to evolve a consensus on the issue, had suggested a substantial increase in the number of the Lok Sabha seats and a consequent increase in the strength of state assembly seats while simultaneously reserving one-third of the total legislature seats for women.
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By Indo Asian News Service,
[RxPG] New Delhi, Nov 23 - The government has decided to introduce a bill to reserve for women one-third of the seats in parliament and legislative assemblies, but the fate of the bill continues to be uncertain as political parties have not reached a consensus on the issue.
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, who had been strongly protesting the quota for women, had raised the issue in a meeting of the ruling United Progressive Alliance - Wednesday evening.
'Lalu Prasad suggested that the bill should be introduced in its original form. The bill will go to the standing committee -, where various parties are expected to express their differences over it,' said a union minister on condition of anonymity.
Once the bill is introduced, it has to go to a standing committee for further discussion, as it is a constitutional amendment bill.
Meanwhile, sources in the government said the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party - had indicated it would not support a constitutional amendment for the purpose.
Queried about the party's position on the bill, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani was evasive. 'Let the government - form a consensus among themselves about in what form they want to bring the bill,' Advani told IANS.
'We will not take a stand unless we see in what form the bill is being introduced,' he said.
But V.K. Malhotra, deputy leader of the BJP in the Lok Sabha, said: 'We will not oppose the introduction of the bill. Let it go to the standing committee.
'But why the government cannot consider our suggestion that the political parties can be instructed to field women as one-third of their nominees?' asked Malhotra.
Sources in the government confirmed that the passage of the bill in its original form, which seeks a constitutional amendment to reserve 33 percent seats for women in parliament and state assemblies, would be 'nearly impossible'.
The Samajwadi Party, which supports the UPA government from outside, had suggested that the quota could be brought down to 15-20 percent.
Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who has been holding discussions with various parties to evolve a consensus on the issue, had suggested a substantial increase in the number of the Lok Sabha seats and a consequent increase in the strength of state assembly seats while simultaneously reserving one-third of the total legislature seats for women.
'Patil is still mulling the idea. He has even prepared graphics for redesigning the central hall when a larger number of MPs come,' said the minister.
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