Sagar/Damoh (Madhya Pradesh): In an effort to enhance women's participation at the grassroots level panchayat elections, the Madhya Pradesh government has reserved 50 percent seats for them at the panchayat level post. But, when the time came for taking the oath of office and secrecy, elected women panchayat members (Panch) sent their husbands, brother-in-law, or other relatives.
The news of elected women panchayat representatives' husbands and other relatives swearing-in has come to light in the Sagar and Damoh areas of Madhya Pradesh. Jaisinagar gram panchayat secretary, Asharam Sahu, also expressed his helplessness that elected women panchayat representatives were not turning up to take the oath of office.
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On Thursday, husbands and other relatives of elected women panchayat representatives were administered the oath of office and secrecy at a function held at the gram panchayat office at Jaisinagar village in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh. Altogether 21 newly elected panchayat members, including 10 women members, were elected for various posts.
Due to less turnout of elected women panchayat representatives for taking the oath, Asharam Sahu, the panchayat secretary of Jaisinagar, said, "The gram panchayat has 20 elected members in which 10 are women representatives. Only three women have attended the swearing-in ceremony so far. Reminders were sent to them several times but they failed to turn up giving excuses that they (women panchayat representatives) were preoccupied with some important household. Hence, their husbands and other relatives were asked to take the oath of office and secrecy."
