Centre plans two-term rotation for women panchayat members

 Based on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Women Empowerment, the Union Ministry of Panchayat Raj has sought comments from the state governments to this effect.

Now, the provision for rotation (between constituencies) of the seats reserved for women change from one election to the next. Under this, if women candidates want to continue their political career, they are required to shift to another constituency.

The Centre received complaints from many women panchayat members that this type of rotation will snatch their chance to nurse their constituencies or carry forward the good work they have done in the area. Their constituency in the first term gets de-reserved in second term and they may have to shift to another constituency.

Sources said a survey has found that among the elected women representatives in the panchayats, 83.4 per cent contested only one election in their career while only 12.4 per cent contested a second term and just 4.2 per cent able to elect in third term. “Reservation of seats for just one term was the main cause for not contesting the second term”, sources admitted.

“The elected male representatives were found to contest elections more than once as compared to elected women. A major reason cited by female respondents for not contesting elections for a second time was the de-reservation of their seat,” said the parliamentary committee.

The study, conducted by the Panchayat Raj Ministry about women members, also observed that the ability to win more than one round of elections is found to be higher in the case of male panchayat presidents and male ward members than their women counterparts.