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In a welcome move, the Telangana State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, October 13, approved a bill providing 50 per cent reservations in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
With this amendment, 75 out of 150 divisions in GHMC will be reserved for women that would empower them politically and aid in better representation.
Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday said that the step was executed following an electoral promise made by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao earlier.
Though the government provided 50 per cent reservations to women in the 2015 GHMC elections, it was through an executive order. Now, the 50 per cent reservations to women in the ensuing GHMC polls will have statutory backing.
The minister also pointed out that the state government had already provided 50 per cent reservations to women in Panchayat Raj bodies and municipalities.
"With this, Telangana will be the first state in the country to provide 50 per cent reservations to women in all local bodies," Rama Rao said, reported Telangana Today.
Additionally, several other amendments were also made to the GHMC Act. Four committees including the Youth Committee, Senior Citizens Committee, Women's Committee Eminent Citizens Committee, each comprising of 25 members, would be constituted in each division of the GHMC.
"A battalion of 15,000 people will be created in the GHMC. These committee members will supervise green cover, solid waste management, discourage of usage of plastic, prevention of encroachments, development of sports and parks," added the minister.
Rama Rao said that another amendment would make provision for increased allocation of the GHMC Budget towards the declining green cover.
He said that the green cover fund would be increased from 2.5 per cent to 10 per cent in the corporation budget.
The rotation of reservation, which was done every year, would be made once in 10 years hereafter in accordance with the Census. The ensuing GHMC polls will be held as per the reservations fixed for the 2015 elections.
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