UPA to bring women's quota Bill in Parliament

The much-delayed women's reservation Bill, providing 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures, will be introduced in the winter session of Parliament.

An assurance to this effect was given by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to a delegation of Women PowerConnect, which met him in New Delhi recently, WPC President Dr Ranjana Kumari said on Friday.

Talking to newspersons in Bangalore, she said the coordination committee of the United Progressive Alliance had decided to accept the recommendations of the Parliament Standing Committee on reservation for women and introduce the Bill in the coming Winter session.

Stating that Karnataka had taken the lead by introducing 25 per cent reservation for women in Panchayats during late Ramakrishna Hegde's chief ministership and the centre followed suit by creating 33 per cent reservation for women, Dr Kumari urged the state government to introduce 33 per cent reservation for women in the state assembly.

"There is no necessity that the Centre should introduce the bill first and then only the state can take action. Karnataka, among other states, can take lead in this also."

Earlier, speaking at a two-day regional workshop on 'Gender-Just Budgeting,' inaugurated by Karnataka Small Scale Industries Minister Katta Subramanya, she demanded that the Planning Commission release 30 per cent of the resources for women to keep its promise of gender-sensitive

fund allocation.

Dr Kumari said women in the country were suffering due to lack of resources in all sectors, especially in health and education. Seventy per cent of Scheduled Caste girls were still not attending school in states like Orissa and Bihar.

"Problems of women can be effectively addressed only when the budget becomes gender sensitive at the state and national level. Women deserve their share of resources from the government," she said.

Subramanya, in his inaugural address, said Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had said that the Gender Budget Cell will be set up in the Finance Department to suggest ways to ensure proper allocation for women in the state budget.

More than 40 representatives from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, besides Karnataka, participated in the workshop and deliberated upon issues like the domestic violence bill, women's reservation bill, gender-just budgets, sexual harassment bill and declining sex ratio vis-a-vis girl child.