Women councillors remaining absent at three consecutive meetings of municipal bodies in Haryana and instead sending their husbands/relatives to represent them will henceforth be sacked, a Minister said on Monday.
Urban Local Bodies Minister Kavita Jain said that the practice of proxy attendance by relatives of women councillors was of great concern and had been increasing day by day.
The government had received complaints that husbands/male relatives of women councillors attended official meetings illegally and took decisions on their behalf.
"The BJP government is trying to ensure increased participation of women in politics and in decision-making to fully empower them. At present, women have 42 per cent representation in municipalities. If instead of voicing their opinion, they allow their relatives to do so, their political abilities will not develop. In such circumstances, the government's initiative to politically empower them will be completely lost," the Minister said.
--IANS
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