BHOPAL: Two first-time women village sarpanches – both tribals – have been removed from their posts in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh, after it was found that they had handed over their rights and powers as sarpanch to others, including a loaner -- as repayment for loans taken from private lenders to contest the panchayat elections in 2022.
The first matter pertained to Karond panchayat (the post of sarpanch is reserved for woman), where the sarpanch Laxmi Bai Gond handed over her rights as sarpanch to one of panchayat members Ranveer Singh Kushwah in return for Kushwah’s guarantee to repay a Rs 20 lakh loan taken by Laxmi Bai from private money lender Hemraj Singh Dhakad.
The entire unholy and notarised agreement of handing over rights and powers as sarpanch to the panchayat member Ranveer Singh Kushwah, in return for the guarantee of Kushwah repaying the Rs 20 lakh loan to Hemraj Dhakad was formalised on a Rs 100 revenue stamp paper in 2022.
Another similar matter pertained to Ramnagar village panchayat of Chachoura area of the same Guna district, where the tribal woman Munni Bai Sahariya contested the 2022 gram panchayat elections after borrowing money from the village’s strongman Ramsevak Meena.
After winning the election in 2022 and becoming sarpanch, she reportedly entered into an agreement with Meena and handed over rights and power of sarpanch to him. In return for getting the powers and rights of the sarpanch, Ramsevak Meena agreed to pay Munni Bai Rs one lakh annually.
Confirming both the cases, the Guna district collector Kishor Kanyal said, “We had received complaints about both those village panchayats, after which a probe was ordered. The probe led to documented facts, after which both the concerned women sarpanches have been removed from their posts. Action is also being initiated against the secretaries of the two village panchayats. Also, FIRs have been registered against those with whom the agreements were made. This will ensure that such incidents don’t recur in our district in future.”
These two developments in Guna district of Gwalior-Chambal region, happened three months after a first-time woman sarpanch lost her post in Neemuch district for handing over her rights, duties and powers of sarpanch to a man of the same village.
The action was initiated in February by the authorities in Neemuch district of western MP against Kailashi Devi Kachchawa, the first-time woman sarpanch of Daata village of Manasa area of western MP’s Neemuch district for handing over her rights, powers and duties as sarpanch to a man from the same village Suresh Garasiya.
The agreement between the village sarpanch Kailashi Bai and Suresh Garasiya happened on a Rs 500 stamp paper on January 24. The agreement was signed by both parties as well as two eyewitnesses.