New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has called for an all-party meet on Wednesday to discuss the Women's Reservation Bill. Looking to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, the Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010.
The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj party have decided to boycott the meeting. The bill is being opposed by the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal (United), who demanded a quota within quota for women of backward classes. The bill, pending for the last 14 years, hopes to get passed this monsoon session.
In a letter to political parties, Kumar has asked them to take steps for early passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha. The Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill has been hanging fire for close to 14 years due to lack of political consensus on the issue. It was first drafted by the HD Deve Gowda-led United Front government and brought to Parliament in September 1996.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said that the Government was serious about the Bill as it "got it to Rajya Sabha and also took a little unpleasant dose to see that it is passed".
In a letter to the Speaker, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, during whose tenure the first attempt was made for the passage of the bill, assured his party JD-S' wholehearted support to "any bill which has the unanimous support of all the political parties".
"Consensus has to be the basis and backbone of any such landmark legislation," Gowda said.
With Additional Inputs from PTI
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