Women’s Reservation Bill: Bihar shows the way, claims JD(U)

Bihar sets example for India in women's empowerment; Nitish Kumar govt. gave 50% reservation in local bodies, 35% in govt. jobs, 50% in education dept., 29,175 women in police force, free bicycles & uniforms for school girls, ₹10 lakh incentive to women entrepreneurs.

Soon after the government at the Centre brought the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament on Tuesday, the Janata Dal (United) claimed that “Bihar has showed the way to the Centre”.

“What Bihar does today, the whole country follows tomorrow. Bihar became the first State in the country under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in 2006 when women were given 50% reservation in local bodies and panchayats. Bihar shows the way to the centre,” JD(U) national general secretary and party spokesperson Rajib Ranjan said.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, he added, “Bihar is the only state where women have been given 35% reservation in government jobs and in the education department the quota is 50%.”

“In Bihar, we have over two lakh women teachers while women representation in police force too has improved drastically. With 29,175 personnel, Bihar has the highest number of women in police force in the country,” he said.

He further listed several other steps taken by the Nitish Kumar government for women’s empowerment like free bicycles and uniforms for school girls, which proved a game-changer in girl’s education and increased enrolment in schools significantly. Mr. Ranjan also mentioned the incentive of up to ₹10 lakh given to women entrepreneurs.

“Besides, 10.45 lakh self-help groups have been formed in the state with which 1 crore 30 lakh women have been associated with these groups,” he said. “It can be out of their political interest the central leaders would spread misinformation against Bihar but from inside their heart they know the steps taken by Bihar government for women empowerment and development have set an example before the country,” he added.