Following reports of husbands or male members of families taking oath instead of the elected women representatives in newly formed Madhya Pradesh panchayats, the State is coming out with an advisory to prevent a repeat of such instances.
Such violations have come to the fore in Dhar, Damoh, Sagar, Panna and Rewa where the women concerned were among the spectators or at home while their husbands or other relatives took the oath on their behalf. Videos of husbands, fathers or brothers-in-law taking oath had surfaced.
“This is completely unacceptable and against the rules. The officials and the staff at the ground level are responsible for ensuring that the right candidates take oath. We have already taken action or are in the process of doing so. We are also issuing an advisory that will be sent to all the gram panchayats to block any such attempts by family members in the future,” says Madhya Pradesh Principal Secretary, Panchayat and Rural Development, Umakant Umrao.
