State’s seats likely to increase but no clarity on number
Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday strongly advocated for the implementation of women’s reservation in legislative bodies, asserting that he would not object even if his own assembly constituency is reserved for women once the law takes effect.
Sawant was addressing a gathering at an event ‘Town Hall of Women Nari Shakti Forum’ held in Panaji to spread awareness on Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the legislation mandating 33% seat reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
Sawant said that Goa is prepared to implement the reservation within its 40-member state assembly. “We don’t mind giving 33% of the existing 40 seats to women. I personally will not have any issue even if my own seat is reserved,” he stated.
While the Chief Minister expressed readiness, he noted a current lack of clarity regarding a potential increase in the assembly seats. He said that the exact figures, particularly for smaller states like Goa, would only emerge following discussions on the proposed delimitation exercise. These amendments are expected to utilise the 2011 Census as a base, as the subsequent Census remains incomplete.
Regarding the national framework, Sawant said that the number of Lok Sabha seats could be substantially increased to facilitate the quota. He described this expansion as part of a broader effort to ensure adequate representation without significantly reducing the existing constituencies.
The Budget session of Parliament has notably been extended for a special three-day sitting from April 16 to April 18 to address the amendments required to operationalise the legislation.
Taking a dig at previous administrations, Sawant said that despite the country having a woman prime minister in the past, earlier regimes failed to take concrete steps toward legislative reservation for women.
He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with initiating the measures necessary to ensure representation from the panchayat level to the Parliament.
Highlighting local initiatives, Sawant said Goa has already taken the lead through gender-focused budgeting. He described the earmarking of 33% of the state’s budget across 56 departments for women as a pioneering step.
Additionally, the Chief Minister said that the state government has supported 400 women’s self-help groups in pursuing self-employment through the Economic Development Corporation and rural development agencies. Increased representation in legislative forums, he said, will allow women to play a decisive role in governance and law-making.
The event also featured insights from Pratima Dhond, president of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, alongside other sectoral representatives.
