BHOPAL: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday announced cash incentives to panchayats that elect representatives unopposed. The move is aimed to encourage consensus and participation of all.
If a sarpanch is elected by unanimous consensus, an incentive amount of Rs 5 lakh will be provided to that panchayat. Rs 7 lakh if the entire panchayat is elected unopposed and Rs 12 lakh if a woman is elected unopposed.
CM announces incentives for unopposed panchayat polls
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Friday that elections in a democracy are like a festival but at times electoral rivalry turns into hostility and leads to violence as well. Therefore, there is a need to encourage unanimous elections. Prizes will be given as encouragement to "Samras Panchayats" (panchayats which elect their representatives unopposed), he said in a video released by his office.
Chouhan said that if the sarpanch is elected unanimously, an incentive amount of Rs 5 lakh will be provided to that panchayat. If the entire panchayat i.e. all the panchs and sarpanch are elected unopposed, then the panchayat will be given an incentive amount of Rs 7 lakh. An incentive amount of Rs 7 lakh will be provided to the panchayat if the sarpanch in this election is elected unanimously and it had happened in the previous election as well.
Chouhan said that if women are elected to all the posts of sarpanch and panch, an incentive amount of Rs 12 lakh will be provided to that Panchayat. Similarly, if women are elected unopposed to all the posts of sarpanch and panch in the panchayat, an incentive amount of Rs 15 lakh will be provided to the panchayat. Development projects of such panchayats will get priority.
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