Bhubaneswar: The chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Sharad Pawar, extended support to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s initiative of 33% reservation for women in the legislative assemblies and the Parliament.
In a letter, the NCP chief congratulated the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo for taking up the remarkable initiative of women empowerment in the country.
“In my fourth term as Chief Minister of Maharashtra in 1991, I brought a legislation to pave the way for women empowerment. The Women’s Bill provided for 33% reservation for women among elected representation in all local government bodies such as Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, Zilla Parishads, Municipalities and Municipal Corporations,” Pawar wrote in the letter.
In April, 2011, the Maharashtra State Assembly unanimously approved 50 per cent reservation for women in all local bodies. Our party, from its very inception has believed empowering women by giving them fair reservation in legislative decision-making,” the NCP chief further stated.
“I once again congratulate you and assure you that our party will support the resolution as and when it comes up in the Parliament,” Pawar concluded.
It may be mentioned here that, a two-member BJD delegation comprising School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra and BJD leader Arup Patnaik had met Pawar at the latter’s residence in Pune on December 16. They had handed over the Odisha CM’s letter seeking support to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Parliament.