Reservation for women high on the agenda of govt: Patil

Amendment to the Constitution to provide 50 per cent quota to women in panchayats, a bill for preventing communal violence and amendment to the Waqf Act will be high on the agenda of the government, President Pratibha Patil said on Monday.

Amendment to the Constitution to provide 50 per cent quota to women in panchayats, a bill for preventing communal violence and amendment to the Waqf Act will be high on the agenda of the government, President Pratibha Patil said on Monday.

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"Two bills for Constitutional amendment to provide 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayats and urban local bodies have already been introduced and it is hoped that these can be passed during this session," Patil in her address to a joint sitting of Parliament said.

She said the government was committed to the Women’s Reservation Bill which has been pending in the Rajya Sabha.

"My government is committed to ensuring early passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill which was introduced in Rajya Sabha in May 2008. I would urge you to accord special attention to this critical proposal," she said.

The President said, "Our unity and social harmony is the best answer to the terrorists and their divisive designs.

"Hence, the government is committed deeply to protecting our social fabric and to that end, it proposes to move for the early passage of the Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005, in this session of Parliament".

She said the government will also bring a proposal to amend the Waqf Act during the Budget session.