In a bid to promote women empowerment, the Tamil Nadu Assembly today unanimously adopted a Bill increasing the reservation cap for women from the present 33 per cent to 50 per cent.

The Amendment Bill, which was tabled by Minister for Municipal Administration, Rural Development, Law, Courts and Prisons S.P. Velumani on the last day of the budget session, was later adopted unanimously by the House. The Act was called the Tamil Nadu Municipal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2016.

According to the Statement of objects and reasons of the Bill, at present, the laws relating to the urban local bodies provide for reservation of one-third of the total number of seats and offices for women in Municipal Corporations, Municipalities and Town Panchayats.

”The Government has considered it necessary to increase the percentage of reservation for women from one-third of the total number of seats and offices to one-half, so as to promote empowerment and to facilitate participation of women in urban development”, it said.

Accordingly, the Government has decided to amend the Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Salem, Tirupur, Erode, Vellore and Tuticorin, Thanjavur and Dindigul Municipal Corporation Acts, the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act and the Tamil Nadu Municipal Corporation Laws (Amendment and Special Provision) Act.

”The Bill seeks to give effect to the above decision”, Mr. Velumani said, while introducing the Bill.