The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Meet seeks 30 per cent quota for women in Central jobs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 16, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Meet seeks 30 per cent quota for women in Central jobs

Special Correspondent

Calls for legal sanction for self-respect marriages at the national level

— Photo: M. Vedhan

concludes on positive note: DMK president M. Karunanidhi and other senior leaders at the party’s women’s wing’s conference in Cuddalore on Sunday.

CUDDALORE: The State-level conference of the women’s wing of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam that concluded here on Sunday passed a resolution seeking 30 per cent reservation for women in Central government jobs, besides 33 per cent quota in the State Assembly and in the Lok Sabha.

Thanks to the Karunanidhi government, women could occupy 33 per cent of the elected posts in the local bodies.

At the national level, the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in this regard faced a roadblock because of the insistence of certain political parties for “quota within quota” for the Backward Classes and the Most Backward Classes.

The conference suggested suitable amendment to the statute to facilitate speedy passage of legislation and later resolve the sub-quota issue.

In another resolution, the conference sought introduction of a lesson at the higher secondary level on the various welfare schemes and legislation on women’s rights because awareness was lacking.

Thanking the Chief Minister for having facilitated members of all castes to become archakas, the conference requested him to extend the right to women. It called for legal sanction for self-respect marriages at the national level by amending the Hindu Marriage Act 1955. It condemned the scenes on films and television serials that encouraged atrocities against women. It called upon the government to construct hostels through the Tamil Nadu Housing Board for the sake of working women.

The meet noted that when the State government was giving free cooking gas connections, the price escalation of the LPG refills had imposed heavy burden on poor and middle-class families. Hence, it urged the Centre to bring down the price of the cooking gas.

It called upon the Centre to implement the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project, even under the name Sethu Ram as requested by Mr. Karuananidhi, because it would provide several thousands of jobs and lead to economic prosperity of the State.

It insisted upon the Centre to accord Tamil language the official Indian language status, and provide for reservation in the private sector. It sought equal wages for equal work.

Among other things, it thanked the Chief Minister for having allowed the conduct of the conference, promoting self-help groups, for the determination to implement the Hogenakkal scheme, enhancing the marriage assistance scheme and providing aid for child delivery and announcing the first day of Thai month as Tamil New Year.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu