Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy called upon the women to take active part in politics.
Speaking at a function organised in connection with the International Women’s Day at the Old Assembly building hall here on Monday, the Chief Minister said that politics was a very good but tough profession . He jokingly remarked that a woman is a tough opponent in politics. Politics is a profession which can bring a change in the life of the people, the Chief Minister said and added that politics can do a lot of good to the society.
Referring to the Women Reservation Bill, the Chief Minister said that he would favour all political parties reserving 33 per cent seats for women which would enable more women to participate in politics. While replying to a question posed by a student, he said that the reservation policy has been brought by the government to ensure that all those castes which were discriminated for centuries are developed.
Responding to another question on prohibition, the Chief Minister said that the government was coming out with a new excise policy in June which would try to reduce the number of liquor shops. He said that total prohibition as a policy has failed. The only way to reduce the consumption of liquor is through education, he said. In this context, he wanted the women to play an active role by not allowing their own family members to consume liquor. The government on its part is going to spend an amount of Rs 50 Crores towards mass campaign for educating the people on the ills of liquor consumption.
The Chief Minister spoke at length about the technological advancements made by the country during the last three decades. He recalled his student days when there were no cell phones or Television channels. He called upon the students to make use of the technology revolution and try to excel in their respective fields. The government is providing fee reimbursement and scholarships to 27 lakh students every year by spending Rs 3500 Crores, the Chief Minister said.
He also spoke about the technological initiative launched by his government to reduce corruption in the administration. He hoped that in a couple of months, all the certificates and other documents can be obtained by the people without going to any government office.
Legislative Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar, women ministers Dr J Geeta Reddy, Sunita Laxma Reddy, MLA Kuthuhalamma and women students participated in the event. (INN)