SIKKIM BECOMES THE FIRST STATE IN THE COUNTRY TO PROVIDE 40% RESERVATION FOR WOMEN IN PANCHAYATGANGTOK, September 7: In a landmark move, the State Government has provided for 40 % reservation for women in the Panchayats in the State.
The State Assembly today unanimously passed the Sikkim Panchayat (Amendment) Bill of 2007, which was tabled before the House yesterday.
Minister for Rural Management and Development Department, KN Rai, moved the Bill to be taken into consideration, which was then unanimously passed without any discussion.
The two SDF woman legislators, Nimthit Lepcha and Manita Mangar, who spoke during the deliberations on the Bill, hailed the provision for 40 % reservation for women as “historic and unprecedented.”
Lauding the efforts of the SDF Government for steps taken towards empowerment of women in the State, Ms Mangar said that this could be possible only because of the vision and the dedication of party leader and Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling.
“We, on behalf of the entire womenfolk of Sikkim, would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciate the efforts of Mr. Chamling for his efforts towards the upliftment of women in the State. The decision to percentage reserved for women in Panchayats elections from present 33 % to 40 % is a radical step towards women empowerment,” she added.
It may be mentioned here that Sikkim has thus become the first State in the country to reserve 40 % seats for women in Panchayats bodies. The rest of the country provides 33 % reservations. The State Government, with the intention of providing reservation to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Most Backward Class, Other Backward Class and women in the Panchayats in accordance with the provisions of the Sikkim Panchayat Act, 1993 and the Sikkim Panchayat (delimitation of Gram Panchayat and Zilla Panchayat and reservation of seats in gram Panchayat and Zilla Panchayat) rules, 1997, has sought an amendment in the Sikkim Panchayat Act, 1993.
In order to provide equal representation to women in the Panchayat, the amendment seeks to provide 40 % reservation of seats in the Panchayats for women of the State.
The Sikkim Panchayat (Amendment) Bill of 2007, which was tabled in the Assembly today, also proposes to provide reservation of seats in the Panchayats to the MBC and OBC in proportion to their population in the State.
The Bill also proposes to vest the State Election Commission with the additional responsibility of conducting delimitation of Panchayat areas and reservation of seats in the Panchayats and also the responsibility of conducting election of the Sabhapati, Upa-Sabhapati and Sachiva of Gram Panchayat and Adhakshya and Upa-Adhakshya of Zilla Pnachayat.
The State Assembly today unanimously passed the Sikkim Panchayat (Amendment) Bill of 2007, which was tabled before the House yesterday.
Minister for Rural Management and Development Department, KN Rai, moved the Bill to be taken into consideration, which was then unanimously passed without any discussion.
The two SDF woman legislators, Nimthit Lepcha and Manita Mangar, who spoke during the deliberations on the Bill, hailed the provision for 40 % reservation for women as “historic and unprecedented.”
Lauding the efforts of the SDF Government for steps taken towards empowerment of women in the State, Ms Mangar said that this could be possible only because of the vision and the dedication of party leader and Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling.“We, on behalf of the entire womenfolk of Sikkim, would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciate the efforts of Mr. Chamling for his efforts towards the upliftment of women in the State. The decision to percentage reserved for women in Panchayats elections from present 33 % to 40 % is a radical step towards women empowerment,” she added.
It may be mentioned here that Sikkim has thus become the first State in the country to reserve 40 % seats for women in Panchayats bodies. The rest of the country provides 33 % reservations. The State Government, with the intention of providing reservation to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Most Backward Class, Other Backward Class and women in the Panchayats in accordance with the provisions of the Sikkim Panchayat Act, 1993 and the Sikkim Panchayat (delimitation of Gram Panchayat and Zilla Panchayat and reservation of seats in gram Panchayat and Zilla Panchayat) rules, 1997, has sought an amendment in the Sikkim Panchayat Act, 1993.
In order to provide equal representation to women in the Panchayat, the amendment seeks to provide 40 % reservation of seats in the Panchayats for women of the State.The Sikkim Panchayat (Amendment) Bill of 2007, which was tabled in the Assembly today, also proposes to provide reservation of seats in the Panchayats to the MBC and OBC in proportion to their population in the State.
The Bill also proposes to vest the State Election Commission with the additional responsibility of conducting delimitation of Panchayat areas and reservation of seats in the Panchayats and also the responsibility of conducting election of the Sabhapati, Upa-Sabhapati and Sachiva of Gram Panchayat and Adhakshya and Upa-Adhakshya of Zilla Pnachayat.
