BJD Will Continue to Fight for Passage of Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament: Naveen

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has reiterated that his party Biju Janata Dal will continue to fight for passage of Women’s Reservation Bill in the Parliament.

During his interaction with Editorial Director of The New Indian Express Prabhu Chawla at the 19th edition of Devi Awards on Sunday, the Odisha CM has pledged that the BJD will fight for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Parliament.

“Our party will continue to press for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament. We have done it in Odisha and will certainly push for it in the Lok Sabha,” Naveen said.

Giving example of his father and former Chief Minister of Odisha Biju Patnaik, Naveen said that Biju Patnaik was the first person in the country to have 33 per cent of seats for women in panchayatiraj institutions (PRIs).

Naveen further said that the BJD Government has taken the policy forward by earmarking 50 per cent of the seats for women at the grassroot-level governance system.

The Odisha CM also highlighted two flagship programmes of his government – Mission Shakti and Mamata for the empowerment of women.

“Mission Shakti, which has so far become a movement in the state, provides both social as well as economic empowerment to the women,” Naveen said.

The Mamata scheme was for pregnant women and they are given financial assistance for child births, he added.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister presented the Devi Awards to 12 women for their achievement in respective fields.