Women in local bodies in Assam might have 50% reservation

The Assam government is in a move to increase reservation for women in local bodies to 50 per cent of the total seats. If it so happens, it would mark a rise from the current 33 per cent. According to Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Rockybul Hussain, the government is seriously considering 50 per cent reservation in seats to women in the panchayat and local municipal bodies.

But he did not mention any timeframe for bringing a legislation to increase the number of reserved seats. Government data suggest that women candidates won 38.2 per cent seats in gram panchayats in Assam, 36.8 per cent in anchalik panchayats and 34.6 per cent in zilla parishads in the last polls held in December 2007-January 2008. Hussain added that women in Assam have made rapid progress in the field of self-help groups.