Guwahati: Assam Government introduced amendment bills in the assembly to allow 50% reservation of seats for women on a rotational basis for 10 years along with various wards of civic bodies.
The bill was introduced on the first day of the Winter Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly by the Housing and Urban Affairs minister Ashok Singhal.
According to the proposed change to the Assam Municipal Act, 1956, such seats will be allocated by rotation to various constituencies in a municipality every ten years.
“Providing women with award reserve for 10 years will encourage women to participate in the democratic process of elections and will enable them to ensure the viability of initiatives implemented by ULBs (urban local bodies),” according to the law.
During the day, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, was also introduced.
It aims to extend the duration of women’s reservation in civic elections for up to ten years.
The proposed modifications to the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Act, 1969, also aim to include harsh penalties for violators of the Act.
Meanwhile, an amendment bill proposing that the state government can appoint the chief engineer of the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) was also introduced by Singhal.
The bill seeks to extend the scope for the selection of the concerned engineer.