Tamil Nadu is introducing two Bills to increase representation of persons with disabilities in local bodies, including urban and rural councils.
One Bill aims to nominate persons with disabilities to town panchayats, municipal councils, and corporations
The second targets village panchayats, panchayat unions, and district panchayats.
The goal is to provide guaranteed posts for over 13,000 persons with disabilities across various local bodies, a significant increase from the current 35 in urban local bodies.
These measures aim to empower the community, reduce stigma, and involve persons with disabilities in decision-making at the grassroots level.
The initiative follows similar affirmative action strategies like women's reservations in local bodies, where the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution allowed for one-third representation of seats for women
some states, including Tamil Nadu, increased this to 50%.
The Women’s Reservation Act passed in 2023 ensures 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, which will be effective after the next Census.
The government must ensure that persons with disabilities truly benefit from this representation, avoiding situations where their role is undermined, as seen with women's reservations in the past.
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