Gulbarga, June 28: Confirmation that women zilla panchayat members are controlled by their husbands seems to have come at Gulbarga on Monday.Women members of Gulbarga zilla panchayat boycotted the monthly ZP meeting demanding that their spouses be allowed a say in the ZP and the right to represent their wives. The meeting was adjourned. Experts say this demand is a first of its kind in the state.
As the monthly ZP meeting began on Monday, members, including 23 women, signed the register, but boycotted the meeting and went to ZP president Shivaprabhu Patil, demanding that their spouses be allowed to attend the meetings.
Marutibai Chauhan said that since women members do not understand problems of panchayat raj system, help of their spouses or sons is necessary. They also complained that officials did not take them seriously and that they were not trained. They also admitted that they became members because of their husbands’ popularity.
The women said the president may call an informal meeting of members, including the husbands or sons of women members, three days before the official meet.
–Agencies