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Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah participated in the discussion on Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in the Lok Sabha on 20 September. Participating in the discussion, Shri Amit Shah said that 19 September, 2023 will be written in golden letters in the history of the Indian Parliament because on this day the new Parliament started functioning on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi and the long-pending bill providing the right to reservation for women was introduced in the House. He said that he would like to thank Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi from core of his heart that he has truly honoured the women power, which constitutes 50 percent of 140 crores population. Shri Shah said that with the passing of this constitutional amendment bill, one-third seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will be reserved for women of the country. With the passing of this bill, the long continuing fight of women for their rights will end. He said that Prime MinisterShri Modi presented the concept of “Women-led Development” in front of the world in the recently held G-20 conference and with the passing of this bill, a new era will begin, because now the women of this country will not only become participants in policies but will also contribute in determining the policies
Shri Amit Shah said that women empowerment may be a political agenda for some parties, but for the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, women empowerment is an issue of recognition. He said that in 2014, after 30 years the people of the country decided to form a government with full majority under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Under the leadership of Prime Modi, women’s safety, respect and participation have been the breath and soul of the government. Shri Shah said that when Shri Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of the country in 2014, there were 70 crore people in the country who did not have bank accounts in their homes. Shri Narendra Modi started Jan-DhanYojana and launched a campaign to open bank accounts, as a result of which 52 crore bank accounts were opened, out of which 70 percent bank accounts were opened in the name of women. He said that those people whose roots are connected to India will not make the mistake of calling women weak.
Women empowerment
Shri Amit Shah said that today, women empowerment has taken place in the country and the money from all the schemes is going directly into the bank accounts of women. He said that the opposition party ruled this country for more than 5 decades, there were 11 crore families in the country who did not have toilets. Slogans were raised to eliminate poverty, but no arrangements were made for the poor. He said that when there is no toilet in the house, the young daughter, sister and mother suffer the most. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi provided 11.72 Crores toilets within the first 5 years, due to which mothers, sisters and daughters were empowered. He said that 10 crore families of the country were forced to live in smoke, but Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has empowered women by providing free LPG connections to 10 crore houses. The government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi provided houses to more than 3 crore women in their names. Shri Shah said that there were 12 crore houses in the country where there was no drinking water, Shri Narendra Modi provided tap water to them. He added that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi provided 5 kg free food grains per person per month to 80 crore people of the country. Prime Minister Modi opened 3 crore 18 lakh SukanyaSamriddhi accounts, provided benefits to 3 crore women under MatruVandanYojana and provided approximately 26 weeks of maternity leave. Shri Shah said that today the number of women pilots worldwide is 5 percent whereas in India it is 15 percent, this is called empowerment.
Women’s participation in decision making
The Union Home Minister said that women are more empowered than men and this bill will now ensure women’s participation in decision and policy making. He said that the government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has brought this bill to correct the errors in the social system, to increase the participation of women and to respect them. He said that today, we have an opportunity when this House can give a message to the world that the entire House is unanimous and united in fulfilling Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of “Women-led Development”.
Shri Amit Shah said that four attempts have been made by previous governments to bring Women’s Reservation Bill. He said that the Women’s Reservation Bill was first brought by the government led by Shri H.D. Deve Gowda in 1996, after which it was given to a committee headed by Seema Mukherjee. The committee also gave its report but that bill never reached this House. He said that after this, the Government led by Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee brought this bill in 1998, but the opposition did not allow it to be introduced in the House. Shri Shah said that the government led by Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee once again brought the bill but again discussion could not take place. He said the government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh again brought the amendment bill in the Rajya Sabha, where after being passed, this bill could not come in the Lok Sabha.
One-third of women MPs will sit in this House
Union Home Minister requested all the members to come together to unanimously work to amend the Constitution and provide reservation to the women power through this new beginning. He said as per the current provision, the Modi government has given 33 percent reservation to women in all three categories of members going to be elected to Parliament – General (which includes OBC), Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe. He said that provision for women’s reservation has been made through Article 330 (A) and Article 332 (A) under this constitutional amendment. Along with this, one-third seats have been reserved for women by giving vertical reservation in all three categories. Shri Shah said that the Delimitation Commission is a legal provision of an important body that determines the election process of our country and it is done by appointment but there are quasi judicial proceedings. He said that it is headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court and it also has a representative of the Election Commission. Shri Shah said that the one-third seats to be reserved will be selected by the Delimitation Commission. The commission goes to every state and gives open hearings and decides the policy in a transparent manner. He said that the only objective behind bringing Delimitation Commission is to bring transparency. He added that there will be no delay in the formation of this commission, after the elections both census and delimitation will be done and soon the day will come when one-third of the women MPs will sit in this House and decide the future of the country.
Welfare of the backward class wholeheartedly
Shri Amit Shah said that the Prime Minister of the country, Shri Narendra Modi has done the work of welfare of the backward class wholeheartedly. He said that in his first speech in 2014, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had said that his government is the government of Dalits, Backward Classes, Tribals and women. Today, after providing houses, toilets, electricity, water, medicines, gas cylinders and food grains to 80 crore poor people of the country, Narendra Modi government has brought 33 percent reservation for women. He said that the opposition parties never made an OBC Prime Minister. Union Home Minister requested everyone to rise above party politics and support this bill.