Mumbai, March 9 (IANS) In a significant move, the Maharashtra cabinet Wednesday approved hiking reservation from 33 percent to 50 percent for women in all local self-government bodies.
"This is a historic decision. We shall introduce the bill in the forthcoming budget session giving 50 percent reservation to women in all local government bodies," Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told mediapersons here.
The local self-government bodies include municipalities, zilla parishads, gram-panchayats and gram sabhas.
The United Progressive Alliance government at the centre has earlier approved 33 percent reservation for women in various bodies.
Incidentally, the Nationalist Congress Party had recently proposed an increase in the quota for women in local government bodies from 33 to 50 percent.
Last week, NCP chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had asked his party activists to pursue the demand vigorously.