The Telangana State Assembly on Tuesday passed the GHMC (Amendment Bill) 2020.

The amendment to GHMC Act allows 50 percent reservation for women mandatory in GHMC Council. The Bill brings four more amendments to the GHMC Act, including allocation of 10 per cent of GHMC budget for Green Budget.

The Bill was introduced by Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao. The MAUD minister said Telangana became the first state in the country to provide 50 per cent reservation for women in all local bodies by amending the Panchayat Raj Act, the Municipal Act and the GHMC Act. He stated that the 50 percent reservation for women in GHMC Council was being implemented following an electoral promise made by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. He stated that the TRS government had set an example for other states in the country by getting women to win from 79 municipal divisions against reservation of 75 of 150 municipal divisions in GHMC.

“The Telangana government is the first state in the country to give 50 per cent reservation to women in local bodies even before the Central government started making efforts and sought the opinion of the States to provide 50 percent reservation for women in all legislative houses as per Article 243 (T) which mandates 33 percent reservation for women in all legislative houses,” KTR informed the Assembly.