The Local Self Government department (LSGD) has issued orders to local bodies to set aside 5% of the shops in shopping complexes owned by local bodies for women.
In a press release issued here on Monday, Minister for Local Self-Governments M.V. Govindan said the order, which would be applicable for industrial parks under local bodies too, was issued as part of the State government's interventions to bring educated and jobless women into the mainstream and make them economically self-sufficient.
Currently, the rules stipulate that 10% of the shops in complexes owned by panchayats had to be set aside for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and 3% for the differently abled. The 5% for women would be in addition to this.
The condition would have to be satisfied in the allocation of shops whenever new vacancies opened up. The local bodies had been asked to ensure that other persons did not run businesses after renting shops under a woman's name.
Kudumbashree auxiliary units would have to be accorded priority in allocation of shop rooms, the Minister said.
