Celebrating the 33rd National Panchayati Raj Day at the SVLN Zilla Parishad High School, Gopalapatnam, in Visakhapatnam on Friday, Zilla Panchayat chairperson J. Subhadra said that the 50% reservation for women had considerably strengthened their role in rural governance.

Ms. Subhadra said the 73rd Constitutional Amendment of 1992 had given the Panchayati Raj system a firm legal footing, and that rural self-governance had been gaining strength since 1993. She emphasised that villages formed the foundation of national development and called for greater participation of women in key decision-making.