After Narendra Modi’s comment, MP cracks whip on ‘sarpanch patis’

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Not surprisingly, MP became the first state to act on Modi’s advice by directing chief executive officers (CEOs) of districts and block panchayats to remove sarpanch/panch if their husband, or any other male relative, is found attending or conducting gram sabha or gram panchayat meetings in their place.

Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Gopal Bhargava said videography of meetings will be done to find out if male representatives are conducting them in place of elected women representatives. The elected representative should be given an opportunity to explain her case before beginning the process to remove her, the minister said.

Fifty per cent seats in the three-tier Panchayat Raj system are reserved for women in the state, which has 23,006 gram panchayats, 313 Janpad (block) panchayats and 51 districts.

While welcoming the principle behind the order, Executive Director of Samarthan-Centre for Development Support Yogesh Kumar said the government will have to do a lot more, like extensively training the elected representatives, before strictly implementing it.

“Elected representatives can’t suddenly become independent and come out of the shadow of their husband,’’ he said. He said in areas where feudalism is still the norm, Dalit women panches find it difficult to even reach the venue of gram sabha or gram panchayat meetings on their own.

CEO of Shujalpur Janpad Panchayat Amit Vyas said the incident in Hanukhedi helped create awareness. He said the secretary, who administered the oath, has been suspended and the process to act against the husband has been initiated.