Orissa: 50% quota for women in panchayat bodies

Orissa was the first state in the country to reserve one-third of the seats in Panchayati Raj system when the then chief minister Biju Patnaik amended the Orissa Panchayati Raj Bill,1964,in 1991 to make 33 per cent seats reserved for women in gram panchayats,panchayat samitis and zilla parishads. The Orissa Panchayati Raj Bill,1991 came a year ahead of the 73rd Constitution Amendment which made it compulsory for all states to reserve 33 per cent of the seats in panchayat bodies for women.

The Bill also provides for reservation of seats and offices of chairpersons for two terms instead of a single term.