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| Women's quota bill needs consensus of Assembly: Rather | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 30: Favouring women reservation in political arena, the ruling coalition today said that the Women's Reservation Bill needs the consensus of the State Legislative Assembly for its passage in the State.
"The Women's Reservation Bill needs the consensus of the entire House and all political parties, as it require a constitutional amendment," said Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for Finance while replying to the discussion on Appropriation Bills in the Legislative Assembly here today.
He said the government has started many women specific schemes and even concept of gender budgeting has been introduced here.
"The Bill on Violence against Women was introduced by the Minister for Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo in the House few days ago," Rather said.
"The Bill, which has been passed in Rajya Sabha recently, needs a consensus of the entire House and all political parties. We will sit together so that a consensus is made in this regard," he maintained.
On the Women emancipation, the Minister said that Jammu and Kashmir takes pride in the fact that it was the first State to make such a demand some 65 years ago. He said there is a specific women's charter in the historic Naya Kashmir document, which then had suggested reservation for women.
He further said, "When the Farooq Sahib was the Chief Minister in 1988 the State had decided to grant 50 per cent reservation to women in selection to medical courses, which it even fought in the Apex Court."
Earlier, he informed the House that the Government has decided, for the first time, to create 6000 vacancies in Health and Medical Education Department in the State. He said the cabinet yesterday only decided the creation of 4000 vacancies, which he hoped would be filled within one year.
The Minister said already various recruiting agencies of the Government are on the job and till date 2021 candidates have been selected by Public Service Commission, 11157 by the State Services Selection Board and 7499 by the Police Recruitment Board. He said the Government has asked the departmental committees to expedite the process of filling of class IV vacancies.
On the social development, the Minister said about 3.43 lakh beneficiaries are covered under Integrated Social Security Scheme and 1.37 lakh beneficiaries under National Social Assistance Programme. He said there can be no two opinions that the assistance to the beneficiaries needs to be enhanced but the non-availability of funds comes in the way. He said the Governing Body of the Economic Reconstruction Agency has decided to include five more districts of Kathua, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kargil and Udhampur under its Social Infrastructure Development Programme.
He said in the State Level Bankers Committee meet, he had impressed upon the banks to cut down the interest rates on the loans extended to the farming community. He said even the Reserve Bank of India has also directed the same. He said the Government is giving attention to the farming sector, which forms the base of our economy.
Rather said due to global melt down, the Kashmir handicrafts could not get the required market but the Government is making efforts to make up for the losses. He said stalls of Kashmir craft would be set up at the venue of Common Wealth Games in New Delhi, beginning by the end of this year. He said the Appropriation Bill is the sum total of the grants passed by the House on the demands of individual departments.
Later, the House passed the Bill by voice vote.
Earlier, MY Tarigami, Harshdev Singh, Balwant Singh Mankotia and Mir Saifullah participated in the debate.
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