Bhubaneswar: In a significant move, the Odisha Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution urging all political parties to work towards the early implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, widely known as the Women’s Reservation Act.
The resolution was adopted after a special session dedicated to the theme “Role of Indian women in strengthening democracy.” The debate saw participation from 34 members cutting across party lines, including the ruling BJP and opposition BJD and Congress, and continued till late night, concluding around 12:45 am.
Replying to the discussion, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi described the session as a “historic chapter” in the Assembly’s proceedings, highlighting the depth and quality of deliberations on women’s participation in democracy.
The Chief Minister underlined the historical contributions of women, citing figures from ancient, medieval and modern India, and emphasised that women have always been central to societal progress. He said the Women’s Reservation Act, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, is a landmark step towards ensuring equal participation in policymaking.
Majhi noted that despite women constituting nearly half of the population, their representation in legislative bodies has remained limited—hovering around 15–20 per cent nationally and even lower in Odisha. He pointed out that the current Assembly has only 11 women members, down from 18 in the previous House.
Highlighting past efforts, the Chief Minister traced the long journey of the women’s reservation bill since the 1990s and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for successfully steering the legislation through Parliament in 2023.
He also stressed that while constitutional provisions like the 73rd and 74th Amendments enabled grassroots participation of women—with over 14.5 lakh women representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions—greater representation at higher levels of governance remains essential.
Addressing concerns over the delay in implementation due to delimitation and census requirements, Majhi said these provisions were part of the law from the outset and should not be used as grounds for opposition. He asserted that increased seat allocation would not disadvantage any state, including Odisha.
The Chief Minister further highlighted various welfare and empowerment initiatives, stating that schemes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Ujjwala, and financial inclusion measures have improved women’s socio-economic conditions.
Calling for collective action, Majhi urged all political parties to translate intent into action by allocating at least 33 per cent tickets to women in upcoming elections.
“Democracy is incomplete without women. Development is incomplete without women,” he said, adding that the Assembly’s resolution reflected a unified commitment to building a more inclusive and representative political system.
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