Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday moved a resolution urging the Centre to enact Women's Reservation Bill to provide 33% reservation for women in both Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies.Moving the resolution during the winter session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Minister pointed to the previous Congress Government's decision to reserve 50% seats for women in Urban Local Bodies and Panchayat Raj Institutions to urge the Union Government to hasten the enactment of this bill. This would fulfil a legitimate and long pending demand of women to ensure their empowerment, he said.The resolution was passed unanimously by voice vote after being put to vote by the Speaker.The Bill would ensure greater equity and balanced representation for both men and women in the national electoral process and decision making, the Chief Minister added.
Underlining the fact that then Congress president Sonia Gandhi had initiated the process towards ensuring substantial women representation in Parliament and the Vidhan Sabhas, Captain Amarinder Singh said that the Congress Government had ensured passage of the earlier Bill in the Upper House but it had lapsed in the Lok Sabha due to the indifferent attitude of the opposition. Once passed, the Bill would ensure reservation of 181 seats out of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats, besides earmarking 1370 assembly seats out of the total 4109 assembly seats across the nation.Speaking on the motion, Congress MLA Raj Kumar Chabbewal lauded Captain Amarinder for his visionary approach and said this step would strengthen the status of women in the society.Taking part in the discussion, Congress MLA Satkar Kaur lauded the Chief Minister for this momentous decision to press Central Government for this Bill.Thanking the Chief Minister for taking the lead towards this much needed reform, AAP MLA Rupinder Kaur Ruby while said that due representation of SC and BC women should also be ensured within the purview of this Bill.