Bengaluru, Nov 14 — Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday stressed the need for greater political representation for women and said that the state government would extend its full support to the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) India Region Conference to be held in Bengaluru on November 17 and 18.
Unveiling the logo of the conference on the steps of Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar added that women must receive adequate representation in Parliament and State Legislatures.
He said that the Women's Reservation Bill had been passed by the Rajya Sabha and expressed confidence that it would be implemented in the coming Parliament session.
Recalling the initiatives of former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi, Shivakumar added that legislation had earlier been introduced to provide 50 per cent reservation for women from the panchayat level to district administration.
He said he believed that all political parties supported greater reservation and representation for women.
The Chief Minister added that the presence of women in key positions in Karnataka's administration was a matter of pride.
He said that women were serving in prominent Constitutional and administrative positions, including those of Governor, Chief Secretary, Assembly Secretary, Legislative Council Secretary and Deputy Chairperson.
"Women are the eyes of a family. When women are empowered, men too become stronger," he added.
Shivakumar described the upcoming CWP India Region Conference as a historic milestone for Karnataka and assured the organisers of the state government's complete support.
The conference, being organised under the leadership of CWP India Region chairperson D. Purandeswari, will bring together more than 150 women Parliamentarians, legislators and presiding officers from India and other countries, he said.
He added that the state government would extend all possible cooperation through the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker G.S. Patil and Legislative Council Chairman Saleem Ahmed to ensure the success of the two-day conference.
The Chief Minister also recalled the contributions of former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and other women leaders while speaking about Children's Day.
He said the achievements of India's first woman Chief Minister Sucheta Kripalani, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and President Droupadi Murmu demonstrated that women could achieve anything if they were determined.
Later, addressing a Children's Day programme organised at Bharat Jodo Hall in the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office to mark the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, Shivakumar announced that the second list of appointments to various boards and corporations would be released within the next couple of days.
"The first list has been announced to provide positions to party workers. The second list will be released in a day or two, following which the remaining positions will also be given to workers," he said.
Calling upon party workers to strengthen Bharat Jodo organisations at the panchayat and ward levels, Shivakumar said the state government had appointed 40,000 people to guarantee committees and the process of appointing another 20,000 members was underway.
He added that the state government's five guarantee schemes were important and added that a sixth initiative, the land guarantee, was also part of its commitment to the people.
Referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Chief Minister said the Congress had developed an app and was considering measures to help ensure that the names of eligible voters removed from electoral rolls were included again.
He added that awareness programmes had also been organised among the public on the issue.
Paying tribute to former PM Nehru, Shivakumar said the former Prime Minister had laid the foundation for India's industrial, green and white revolutions and had made significant contributions to education and healthcare.
He added that Nehru had laid the foundation stone for the Vidhana Soudha and played a key role in shaping the country's institutions.
Shivakumar also credited Nehru with providing a strong foundation for public sector enterprises and industries, including HMT, ITI and ISRO.
He said that Nehru's vision in the fields of education, science, technology, power generation and irrigation continued to contribute to India's development.
The Chief Minister also recalled Nehru's role in promoting Five-Year Plans and industrial development.
Shivakumar added that Nehru's thoughts, principles and ideals continued to serve as a guiding light for the Congress and the country.
He said the contributions of Nehru and other national leaders in strengthening democracy and uniting the country would continue to inspire future generations.