Patna: In a significant move, the Bihar government has ordered reserving 35 per cent of posts in government departments for women in order to boost women empowerment.
A letter issued by the General Administration Department on Friday said although the women has been granted 35 per cent reservation government jobs but the number of women holding top posts are very few. The government has now directed all the departments to appoint the women as office heads/in-charges in line with the reservation granted to the female community.
“The basic concept of women empowerment is still not being fulfilled despite all the efforts by the government in the regard. So, you all are directed to ensure their appointment as office heads in line with the reservation granted to them,” the letter mentioned. The letters were issued to additional chief secretaries of all departments, chief secretary, director general of police, all divisional commissioners, district magistrates and district superintendents of police.
The missives were part of the state government’s “good governance programme-2020-2025” to make the female community self-dependent through their empowerment. The officials have now been told to execute this government programme without any further delay.
The state government has launched various efforts to empower the female community who still lags behind the males in various sectors. It was under part of this plan that the women class has been granted 35 per cent reservation for women in appointment in all government jobs. However, their number in government job is still far from satisfactory, prompting the government to issue the order.
Teaching jobs
Bihar is one of very few states where women folk have been granted reservation in various sectors to allow them compete with the male class. The state government has already granted 50 per cent reservation each in local bodies’ polls and appointment in teaching jobs, apart from 35 per cent reservation in police jobs.
In addition to this, the state government has announced to grant 35 per cent reservation to women in allotment of Public Distribution System (PDS) shops. As per an official report, there are around 55,000 PDS shops in Bihar which means more than 19,000 will go to the share of women.
“These all are revolutionary steps towards women empowerment as this will ultimately encourage the female class to get key positions in government jobs and in many sectors which will not only impact the social set-up in male-dominated society but also the political history,” commented social scientist S Narayan.
