The Times of India  30.08.2010

HYDERABAD: The state government is contemplating to provide 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies. "A final decision on this will be taken soon," chief minister K Rosaiah said here on Sunday.

The chief minister inaugurated a housing colony of 4,808 houses, built at a cost of Rs 63.34 crore, under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) at Abdullapurmet village on the outskirts of the city on Sunday.

Youth Congress workers with placards of `YS Jagan' repeatedly interrupted the meeting with slogans of `YSR Zindabad', `YS Jagan Zindabad' and `CM down down'. They also expressed their anger for not putting up YSR photographs and flexies at the venue.

Trying to placate them, the chief minister said welfare schemes started by Rajasekhara Reddy like Arogyasri and Rs 2-a-kg rice would be continued. He said the government would not forget his services rendered to the state. As the agitators continued their slogans, an irked CM said: "Is this what you have learnt from our great leader."

Health minister and Greater Hyderabad Congress president Danam Nagender, who was present on the dais, said if they do not stop sloganeering they would be suspended from the party.

Rosaiah, in his speech, said the state government was giving top priority for women in all sectors and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was keen on women empowerment.

Rosaiah said metro rail works would begin soon as the developer for the Rs 12,132-crore project was finalised recently. "Once the metro rail project is in place, it will be a great relief for commuters in the city," he added.

Union housing and urban poverty alleviation minister Kumari Selja said the Centre had sanctioned Rs one lakh crore under JNNURM for various projects in the country. In Hyderabad, 80,000 houses were sanctioned under JNNURM, she added.

Union urban development minister S Jaipal Reddy said Rs 4,220 crore worth works were sanctioned by the Centre under the JNNURM, including 1,000 buses in Hyderabad.

Union minister of state for textiles Panabaka Lakshmi, state minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy, Sabita Indra Reddy, Danam Nagender, M Mukesh Goud and mayor Banda Karthika Reddy were present.