After a verbal brawl between Deputy Commissioner Reasi, Indu Kanwal Chib and lady Sarpanch of village Arnas, Shamima Akhtar sparked controversy

JAMMU: After a verbal brawl between Deputy Commissioner Reasi, Indu Kanwal Chib and lady Sarpanch of village Arnas, Shamima Akhtar sparked controversy, the officials in district administration have raised questions over the functioning of Panchayati Raj system, alleging that many elected women representatives are proxy for their husbands and other male family members.

The incident happened in a meeting convened by Deputy Commissioner Reasi at Panchayat Halqa Jodda in Arnas block.

The eyewitness said that the verbal brawl breaks out between the Deputy Commissioner and husband of a woman Sarpanch, Shamima Akhtar after he allegedly used unparliamentarily language against the officers for not taking up the developmental works seriously.

Refuting allegations, DC Reasi Indu Kanwal Chib said, “I did not misbehave with the elected Sarpanch. I usually speak loudly and that might be the reason my words were read beyond their m
eaning. I realized later that the man was speaking on the behalf of her wife (Shamima Akhtar)”.
In a damage control mode, Reasi administration backed the DC and raised question over the functioning of the Panchayati Raj System in the district.

“Elected woman sarpanches are toothless tigress. It has been witnessed in district Reasi that women Panches and Sarpanches (elected members of a village council) have no real powers. They are just titular heads, with their husbands or other family members running the real show,” said a senior official in Reasi district administration.

Speaking to The News Now, woman Sarpanch Shamima Akhtar said “Deputy Commissioner Reasi used abusive language against me and my husband. She did not bother to listen to our grievances and hurled abuses. She threatened to cancel my election as Sarpanch which is undemocratic, unethical and against the rules. I want to ask under which rule she wanted to cancel my election”.

Meanwhile, All Jammu Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) extended support to the lady Sarpanch and urged Governor Satya Pal Malik to take action against Deputy Commissioner for her misbehaviour.

“We strongly condemn the rude and misbehaviour of the Deputy Commissioner who has tried to muzzle the voice of an elected Sarpanch. We are living in a democratic country and the deputy commissioner must bear this thing in mind. She (DC) does not deserve to be deputy commissioner as she holds the office of larger public dealing. If an elected lady Sarpanch was misbehaved, how could a common man being treated there,” Anil Sharma, state president of AJKPC told reporters.