The Parliamentary Committee has now been given more time to submit its report. The committee, which is trying hard to break the deadlock over the Women’s Reservation Bill can submit their report till 21st November. 

The bill aims at providing 33% quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Earlier, the panel was suppose to present its report on 8th August, and has already been given two extensions, since the political parties stay rigid on their stand regarding the Bill. 

“For the Congress, the Women's bill is a small price to pay for the continuance of its government. The sad message for women on the occasion of Dussehra is that as far as the 14th Lok Sabha is concerned, the Bill is back in cold storage,” informed CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat. 

The senior Congress MP E M Sudarshana Natchiappan, who heads the party, has not been able to come to a mutual agreement with prominent parties like RJD, Samajwadi Party and JD(U) demanding quota within quota for the OBCs among the women.  

The committee had been delaying submitting the report and instead had been trying to increase the strength of Lok Sabha by one-third from the present 543 to around 700, without even giving a thought to reserve that many seats for women. 

Other than this, the controversial OBC sub-quota issue was also advised by the panel to be left to the states.