Guv hails Odisha govt's decision to convene special assembly session on women in politics

Amid a political war of words over womens reservation in legislatures, Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Wednesday welcomed the state governments decision to convene a one-day special session of the assembly on April 30. The Congress and BJDs opposition to the womens reservation bill in Parliament has pained people of Odisha, he said.

Amid a political war of words over women's reservation in legislatures, Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Wednesday welcomed the state government's decision to convene a one-day special session of the assembly on April 30. The special session has been convened to discuss women's participation in Indian democratic processes, with the objective of strengthening their role in governance and decision-making. ''I appreciate this timely and commendable initiative and extend my best wishes for the smooth and successful conduct of the session,'' Kambhampati said in a social media post. Earlier in the day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling met the governor at Lok Bhavan and briefed him about the session. An official statement said the minister apprised the governor of the key subjects proposed for discussion in the House. Meanwhile, the opposition BJD and Congress alleged that the BJP government has called the special session for political gain following the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in Parliament. Deputy Leader of Opposition Prasanna Acharya of the BJD said the government was trying to mislead women and the people of Odisha. ''If they are serious about women's reservation, what prevented them from implementing the law passed in 2023? We support reservations for women in the Lok Sabha and assembly, but oppose the delimitation bill linked to it,'' he said. Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati also criticised the move, alleging that the special session was being convened to target the opposition. ''We may bring a condemnation motion against the BJP for not implementing the Women Reservation Act, 2023,'' he said. Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said the House would discuss the significance of women's reservation for democracy. ''The Congress and BJD's opposition to the women's reservation bill in Parliament has pained people of Odisha,'' he said. Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been made for the one-day session, with nearly 70 platoons of police, comprising around 2,100 personnel, being deployed to maintain law and order, officials said.