TN Assembly adopts resolution urging centre to implement 33 pc quota for women, maintain status quo on LS seats, opposes DelimitationChennai, Aug 12 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution in the State Assembly on Wednesday demanding the Centre to implement 33 per cent reservation for women, while oppsing the proposed Delimitation exercise and wanted to maintain status quo by continuing with the existing 543 seats in Lok Sabha.In line with the decision taken at an all party meet of MPs convened by TVK Founder and Chief Minister Vijay four days back, the resolution was introduced and adopted in the State Assembly after members of various parties aired their views expressing apprehension over the State's reduced parliamentary representation in view of this execise, while supporting the 33 per cent quota for women.While the principal Opposition DMK and its allies supported the resolution by insisting that there should not be any change in Tamil Nadu's present 7.18 per cent representation in Parliament and extend the freeze on delimitation for a further period of 25 years, the AIADMK and its allies the PMK and the BJP opposed it.After a debate that lasted more than two ours, Speaker JCD Prabhakar declared that the resolution was adopted by voice vote.It may be noted that a resolution was passed unanimously at the meeting attended by MPs belonging to the allies of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of Vijay which was boycotted by the opposition DMK and AIADMK and their allies.Moving the resolution in the Assembly, Vijay said the number of Members of the House of People (Lok Sabha) and Members of the Legislative Assembly in all States and union Territories, including Tamil Nadu, have been determined based on the 1971 Census population figures over the last 50 years, and elections have been held accordingly.In April this year, the Constitution Amendment Bill to remove the 50-year-old ban on delimitation of constituencies, to undertake delimitation of constituencies based on the 2011 Census, and to increase the number of Members of the House of People (Lok Sabha) from 550 to 850 failed to pass in the Parliament, the Chief Minister pointed out.Under these circumstances, based on the understanding that the aforementioned Constitutional Amendment Bill is to be reintroduced, it is a stark reality that if delimitation is carried out based on any census taken after 1971, the parliamentary representation of southern states, including Tamil Nadu-which have effectively controlled their population-will be permanently affected, he said, adding, as per the assurance given by the union Government, it is its primary duty to ensure that no State that has efficiently implemented population control programmes, achieved good economic growth, and carried out proper healthcare and public welfare schemes is adversely affected by the delimitation."Therefore, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly unanimously passes the following resolutions, urging the union Government to permanently maintain the existing strength of the House of People (Lok Sabha) at 543, to maintain the Inter-State distribution of seats permanently, and to maintain the current House of People (Lok Sabha) - Council of States (Rajya Sabha) ratio at 2.2 : 1, while simultaneously implementing 33 percent reservation for women in the 2029 election to the House of People (Lok Sabha), without delay, based on the existing 543 seats.", the resolution said.It said "Total members of the Lok Sabha should be made permanent at 543; the existing number of LS seats allocated to the States should be made permanent at the current level, i.e. proportional distribution among the State and The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly unanimously urges the union Government to ensure that women receive the benefit of one-third seat quota in the upcoming Lok Sabha general elections and the subsequent General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies".While the members of parties supporting the TVK government supported the resolution in toto, the AIADMK and PMK opposed the Delimitation aspect in it while pledging their support only for the 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislatures.Speaking on the resolution, AIADMK General Secretary and Legislature Party Leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, also a former Chief Minister, said it was being brought in a hurried and hasty manner for political reasons. At a time when there was no official information about the Centre re-introducing the Amendment Bill in Parliament and no clarity on whether Tamil Nadu would get increased representation in Lok Sabha or it would get reduced, he was opposing this resolution on Delmitation.He also said the AIADMK was in favour of the Demilitation exercise as the State would stand to gain 50 per cent higher number of seats (it would go up from present 39 to 59 Lok Sabha seats) as assured by the Centre in Parliament.After the lone BJP member registered his opposition to it, Ganesh Kumar of PMK, whose party was an ally of the AIADMK, cited an early resolution adopted in the House (during the previous DMK regime) and said that this resolution was not necessary as there was no official word from the Centre on bringing in an Amendment in the Parliament. He also urged the TVK government to withdraw the resolution.Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin of DMK winded up the debate recalling a meeting convened by former CM M K Stalin and forming a JAC at a meeting of various parties from across the State in March this year extending the freeze on the exercise and the resolution adopted in the House and pledged hi support for today's resolution moved by Vijay.Responding to some of the members questioning the timing of the resolution introduced based on hear say reports, Speaker JCD Prabhakar termed it as timely and was aimed at pre-empting the Centre from going ahead with the exercise.It may be recalled that Vijay had convened the key all party MPs meeting and followed it up the Assembly resolution today following reports that the union Government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been exploring the possibility of bringing in a Constitutional Amendment Bill in the current session of Parliament to carry out a fresh delimitation exercise. Since there was a freezeon Lok Sabha seats based on the 1971 Census and that this would end once the latest Census would be completed in 2027, the Centre which had been reassuring the states that there won't be any reduction in Lok Sabha seats, whereas on the contrary it will increase by50 per cent, was toying with the idea of holding a fresh exercise.As any Constitutional Amendment needed the support of two-thirds majority in Parliament to get passed, the union Government has started reaching out to the Opposition parties to muster enough numbersin the Lok Sabha.Tamil Nadu has a total of 57 MPs--39 in Lok Sabha and 18 in Rajya Sabha. Of them DMK has 30 members (22 Lok Sabha and 8 RS MPs), its allies MNM of actor-politician Kamal Haasan and DMDK (one Rajya Sabha seat each), 12 from Congress (9 Lok Sabha and3 Rajya Sabha), VCK, CPI, CPI-M (two LS members each), MDMK and IUML having one LS MP each, and AIADMK has 4 RS members and its ally, the PMK, having a lone RS MP.UNI GV 1145चेन्नई, 12 अगस्त (वार्ता) तमिलनाडु विधानसभा ने बुधवार को सर्वसम्मति से एक महत्वपूर्ण प्रस्ताव पारित कर केंद्र सरकार से लोकसभा की मौजूदा 543 सीटों की स्थिति को यथावत बनाए रखने, प्रस्तावित परिसीमन प्रक्रिया का विरोध करने और महिलाओं के लिए 33 प्रतिशत आरक्षण तुरंत लागू करने की मांग की है।
तमिलगा वेट्री कषगम (टीवीके) के संस्थापक एवं मुख्यमंत्री सी जोसेफ विजय की बुलाई गई सर्वदलीय बैठक में लिए गए निर्णय के अनुरूप इस प्रस्ताव को विधानसभा में प्रस्तुत किया गया। लगभग दो घंटे से अधिक चली बहस के बाद विधानसभा अध्यक्ष जे.सी.डी. प्रभाकर ने प्रस्ताव को ध्वनिमत से पारित घोषित किया।
प्रस्ताव के अनुसार, अगर 1971 के बाद की किसी जनगणना के आधार पर परिसीमन किया जाता है, तो तमिलनाडु सहित दक्षिण भारत के उन राज्यों का संसदीय प्रतिनिधित्व स्थायी रूप से कम हो जाएगा जिन्होंने जनसंख्या नियंत्रण, आर्थिक विकास और जनकल्याणकारी योजनाओं को सफलतापूर्वक लागू किया है।
प्रस्ताव में कहा गया है कि लोकसभा की कुल सदस्य संख्या को 543 पर स्थायी रूप से बनाए रखा जाए और राज्यों के बीच सीटों के मौजूदा आवंटन अनुपात को न बदला जाए। लोकसभा और राज्यसभा के बीच 2.2 : 1 के मौजूदा अनुपात को बरकरार रखा जाए। वर्ष 2029 के आगामी लोकसभा चुनाव और राज्य विधानसभा चुनावों में महिलाओं को 33 प्रतिशत आरक्षण बिना किसी देरी के प्रदान किया जाए।
बहस के दौरान मुख्य विपक्षी दल द्रविड़ मुनेत्र कषगम (द्रमुक) और उसके सहयोगी दलों ने प्रस्ताव का पूरा समर्थन किया। नेता प्रतिपक्ष उदयनिधि स्टालिन ने तमिलनाडु के संसदीय प्रतिनिधित्व (7.18 प्रतिशत) को सुरक्षित रखने के लिए परिसीमन पर रोक को अगले 25 वर्षों तक बढ़ाने की वकालत की। वहीं, अन्नाद्रमुक, पीएमके और भाजपा ने परिसीमन का विरोध करने वाले हिस्से का समर्थन नहीं किया, हालांकि उन्होंने महिलाओं के लिए 33 प्रतिशत आरक्षण का स्वागत किया। अन्नाद्रमुक नेता एडप्पादी के. पलानीस्वामी ने कहा कि परिसीमन से राज्य की सीटें 39 से बढ़कर 59 होने की संभावना है, जिससे राज्य को लाभ हो सकता है।
मुख्यमंत्री विजय ने विधानसभा को संबोधित करते हुए दोहराया कि जनसंख्या नियंत्रण कार्यक्रमों को प्रभावी ढंग से लागू करने वाले राज्यों को परिसीमन के कारण नुकसान नहीं उठाना चाहिए और केंद्र सरकार को उनके हितों की रक्षा करनी चाहिए।
उल्लेखनीय है कि केंद्र सरकार के संसद के मौजूदा सत्र में नए सिरे से परिसीमन की प्रक्रिया के लिए संविधान संशोधन बिल लाने की संभावना पर विचार कर रही थी। ऐसी रिपोर्टों के बाद विजय ने सभी पार्टियों के सांसदों की एक अहम बैठक बुलाई और विधानसभा में प्रस्ताव पेश किया।
साल 1971 की जनगणना के आधार पर लोकसभा सीटों की संख्या पर रोक लगी हुई थी, जो 2027 में नयी जनगणना पूरी होने के बाद खत्म हो जाएगी। केंद्र सरकार राज्यों को भरोसा दिलाती रही थी कि लोकसभा सीटों में कोई कमी नहीं होगी, बल्कि इसके उलट वे 50 प्रतिशत बढ़ जाएंगी; फिर भी सरकार नए सिरे से परिसीमन की प्रक्रिया शुरू करने पर विचार कर रही थी।
चूंकि किसी भी संविधान संशोधन को पास कराने के लिए संसद में दो-तिहाई बहुमत की ज़रूरत होती है, इसलिए केंद्र सरकार ने लोकसभा में ज़रूरी संख्या जुटाने के लिए विपक्षी दलों से संपर्क करना शुरू कर दिया है।
हिंदी हिन्दुस्तान की स्वीकृति से एचटीडीएस कॉन्टेंट सर्विसेज़ द्वारा प्रकाशित