http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120403/jsp/bengal/story_15328715.jsp#.T3sUomHzsfU

Govt rushes on rural bill

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Calcutta, April 2: The Mamata Banerjee government today "hurriedly" passed the West Bengal Panchayat (Amendment) Bill, paving the way for reservation of seats for women up to 50 per cent in the reserved categories. The Opposition Left Front walked out protesting that the bill was passed in the Assembly without prior notice. State panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said the new act allowed the government to keep the quota of reserved seats under 50 per cent, according to a Supreme Court directive. "Under the existing provisions, if the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minorities are taken together then it will exceed the 50 per cent limit set by the Supreme Court. We had to work out a new formula," Mukherjee said. The new act states: "As nearly as practicable one half but not exceeding one half of the total number of seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the backward classes shall be reserved for women belonging to the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes or the backward classes, as the case may be." In 2010, the Left Front government had enacted a law for reservation of 50 per cent seats in all categories for women in the panchayats. The decision to table the bill was announced today. Defending the decision to get the bill passed in a hurry, Mukherjee said any delay would have had an impact on the impending panchayat polls. Surjya Kanta Mishra, the leader of Opposition, said the bill had not been discussed in the business advisory committee meeting held on Friday.