Strong will key to our success: Women sarpanches

Women tribal sarpanches came from different parts of India to participate in the National meeting of Tribal women Gram Panchayat presidents organised at the A convention hall here on Tuesday.

Tina S Chowdary, a tribal sarpanch of Vekuru village of Avadh region in Gujarat has claimed the village panchayat has successfully provided street lighting in the village and constructed roads. She is one of the 1000 odd female tribal sarpanches, who visited the national meeting of tribal women sarpanches in Vijayawada on Tuesday.

Tina said the construction of toilets was the most satisfying work she had taken up in the village. Tina received the Rahstrapati award from former president Pratibha Patil for her work in sanitation. She said she that she is doing the job for the third time in a row with the help of the villagers.

She said construction of water reservoir was another important work taken up by village panchayat. She claimed that strong determination and will power help them to overcome the problems.

R Anita a sarpanch from Sambalpur village of Chattisgarh has said she has successfully curbed the sale and consumption of liquor in the village. She said the villagers impose fine of Rs.5000 for sale of liquor.

The village panchayat had taken a decision to punish the guilty. She also said that the villagers were poor and became further poor due to liquor. She said that the village panchayat has decided to give Rs.1000 cash prize to those who give information about the liquor sellers.

Anita said as the head of village she is doing her job happily without any major problem. She claimed that strong determination helped her to contest the poll and win elections.

Another sarpanch Malati, who represents Dehar village in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, said the village is good with sufficient drinking water facility and the villagers depend on the cultivation. Malati said her husband Mukut Singh a real estate trader, does not intervene in her daily work.

She said the villagers are very co-operative and don’t create hurdles in her day to day work. Chanchal Devi of Chobia village in Himachal Pradesh said that she would never allow her husband to intervene in her work.

She questioned “Why should I allow my husband to intervene in my work?” She said that she was elected the sarpanch for the second time by the villagers and is doing her job happily without any hurdle. She travelled nearly 2000 km to attend the national meeting of tribal women sarpanches in Vijayawada.

Chanchal Devi said she could handle any problem and will rule the village with the support of panchayat staff. She said she could do better in future thanks to the Governments giving more powers to the village sarpanches and is planning to transfer funds directly to the village panchayats.

By Md Ameen