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Patna,(BiharTimes): The Bihar government has directed the husbands of Mukhiya, Sarpanch and Pramukh to remain away from official meetings and not to interfere in the official works assigned to their wives.
The state Panchayati Raj Minister Bhim Singh has said that if they do not stop from officiating in place of their elected wives, stern action would be taken against them.
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He said that if they are found violating they would be fined and if they do not resist even after this, sterner action would be taken.
These Mukhiya Patis (MPs), Sarpanch Patis (SPs) and Pramukh Pati (PPs) take part in the meetings with Block Development Officers and other officials and influence the decisions regarding the development works as their wives are mere figureheads. In many case they have absolutely no knowledge whatsoever about anything. They simply put their sign or thumb impression on the dotted line. At times they even do not turn up at the meeting.
This practice has been goving on for the last so many years and officers have been regularly complaining of misbehaviour meted out to them by these MPs, SPs and PPs.
Now the state government has woken up to the reality. The Panchayti Raj Minister feels that this is a very serious issue. He said he knows about Mukhiya Patis who issue orders on behalf of their elected wives. Bhim Singh questions that what is the benefit of reserving 50 percent seats for female if woman members send their husbands to represent them. He is not ready to overlook this matter anymore.
What is strange is that there is very few buyers of this minister’s view among the women themselves. Many mukhiya, sarpanch or pramukh interviewed by the media said that they have a lot of work to do at home of in the family and thus have no interest or time in presiding over such meetings.
Many of them complained that meetings are often held in far off places and it is not possible for them to go and attend them.
They argue that as it is their husbands who made their election possible how can they ignore their husbands in taking decisions.
Whatever be the minister’s view the Bihar State Women Commisssion chairperson Kahkashan Parween is of the opinion that husband should not be stopped from helping their elected wives but at the same time it is the duty of elected women to attend the officials meeting themselves and take decisions on their owrn.
So there is a big question mark before the very concept of real women empowerment first suggested by late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. In Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar increased their reservation from 33 per cent to 50 per cent.
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