balurghat: Praising Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for taking steps to ensure women empowerment in the state, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of West Bengal Chandrima Bhattacharya on Tuesday said after coming to power in 2011 in the State, the Trinamool Congress Chairperson and the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reserved 50 per cent seats for the women in the rural polls in Bengal through an Amendment in 2012 so that the women participation in the Panchayat-level can be increased.
Addressing a public convention in South Dinajpur’s Karbala ground of Tapan block for ‘Cholo Grame Jai’ (Lets Go to the Village) programme on Tuesday afternoon, Bhattacharya said: “We got our Constitution in 1950. In the constitution it was mentioned that there would be no sexual discrepancy between the men and the women but surprisingly after 43 years of receiving the Constitution, there was an Amendment conducted in 1993 by the Central government for 33 percent seats being reserved for the women in the Panchayat polls across the country. Our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee only took one year after coming to power in 2011 for reserving 50 per cent seats for the women. The Amendment was conducted by her in 2012.”
She said the Chief Minister always stands beside the women in the state and that is why she has reserved the seats for the women.“In South Dinajpur, there are 1308 seats covering 64 Gram Panchayats, 189 seats in eight Panchayat Samities and 21 seats in Zilla Parishad. The men and the women candidates can now fight in equal-number of seats in the rural polls in Bengal after 2012. It has been possible only for the positive step that was taken by her in 2012,” she said.