Union Cabinet okays Women's Reservation Bill

New Delhi: The cabinet Thursday cleared the long-pending Women's Reservation Bill that provides for setting aside 33 per cent of seats in Parliament and the state legislatures for women and it is likely to be tabled in the current session of parliament, informed sources said.

"The cabinet today cleared the Women's Reservation Bill and it is likely to be introduced in the current session of Parliament," the sources said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presided over the cabinet meeting.

The standing committee report on the bill was tabled in both houses of parliament Dec 17, 2009 amid protests by the Samajwadi Party (SP), Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

Parliamentarians of the three parties, which have been opposing the measure, were up on their feet as soon as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shahnawaz Hussain tabled the report in the Lok Sabha.