Tamil Nadu women get 50 per cent quota in local bodies

Chennai: Soon local bodies in Tamil Nadu will see more women representatives – almost on par with men. In an effort to empower women, the Assembly on Saturday unanimously adopted the Tamil Nadu Municipal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2016, and the Tamil Nadu Panchayats (Amendment) Act, 2016, ensuring 50 per cent reservation for women in corporations, municipalities, town panchayats and village panchayats in the state.

At present, the laws relating to the urban local bodies and panchayats provide one-third reservation of the total number of seats and offices for women in the local bodies. The two amendments passed unanimously in the Assembly aim at enhancing the reservation for women from the present 33 per cent to 50 per cent to promote women empowerment besides facilitate participation of women in development.

Accordingly, the government amended the Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Salem, Tiruppur, Erode, Vellore, Thoothukudi, Thanjavur and Dindigul Municipal Corporation Acts, the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act and the Tamil Nadu Municipal Corporation Laws (Amendment and Special Provision) Acts and also the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994 to enhance the quota for women.

The Bill, tabled by the minister for municipal administration, rural development, law, courts and prisons S. P. Velumani during the budget session, was adopted by voice vote.

The state government’s move to enhance the quota comes at a time when the Centre is seriously working on to increase the reservation of women to 50 per cent in all tiers of local bodies from the present 33 per cent.