PATNA: It’s time for the young and highly educated to enter Bihar politics and learn the ropes at the grassroots level. According to a survey by the state election commission, about 70-80% of newly-elected representatives of the three-tier Panchayati Raj institutions in Bihar are young, highly educated and debutants in the age group of 21-30 years.
Anushka is elated over her new assignment as mukhiya of Kushahar panchayat in Sheohar district. An engineering graduate from a Bengaluru institute, she was administered oath of office by the block development officer last week.
“I’d have got a job in a multinational anywhere after passing out from NMRKV College in Bengaluru. But destiny had something else in store for me. I had come to my native village during the Covid-19 pandemic, which changed the course of my life and I won the recently conducted panchayat polls,” she said. “I’ve got an opportunity to serve people. I don’t want to miss it,” Anuksha said.
Arun Kumar, a former assistant commissioner at chief vigilance commission, has been elected mukhiya of Singhwahini panchayat in Sitamarhi district.
Interestingly, he replaced his wife Ritu Jaiswal, who was the mukhiya of Singhwahini panchayat. Arun used to help Ritu in executing government schemes.
Now his wife, who lost by a slender margin in Assembly polls in 2020, will support him.
“Development works, which remained incomplete during the tenure of Ritu, will be completed,” he said.
MBA Arvind Kumar Mahto and retired deputy superintendent of police Parshuram Ram got elected as mukhiyas of Mushahari Sonuwaria and Bhaisahi Pokharia panchayats in West Champaran district, respectively.
Mahto was earlier working with a multinational company in Maharashtra. He returned home only to contest the panchayat polls. “Now I will devote my time to my panchayat,” he told this daily.