The gram panchayat elections, scheduled to be held in two phases in the last week of this month and the first week of June, are all set to unleash women power in the lowest echelons of democracy, with these local bodies getting more financial independence for the first time in the history of the Panchayati Raj institutions.
The elections this time has two important features —compulsory voting and the 50 per cent of reservation of seats for women. As per the information available, the share of seats reserved for women in gram panchayats in the State is more than 50 per cent in almost all taluks.
Official sources told The Hindu on Sunday that 51.49 per cent of seats in 264 gram panchayats in Kalaburagi district had been reserved for women. These local bodies will go to polls on June 2. The percentage of reservation for women varied between 28.67 per cent and 92.15 per cent.
While the percentage of seats reserved for women in the total seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes was 92.15 per cent, those for the Backward Class B was 28.67 per cent. Of the total seats available for the Backward Class A, 66.97 per cent had been reserved for women. As much as 41.57 per cent of seats available for the general category has been reserved for women and 55.74 per cent of those reserved for the Scheduled Castes too have been reserved for women.
This will mean that the dominance of men in gram panchayats is all set to come to an end and for the first time women will get a chance to assert their rights. For the first time, gram panchayats will see more number of women as chairpersons and they will have more financial powers. Incidentally, gram panchayats have more unstringed financial powers than taluk and zilla panchayats.
The total number of voters who have the right to vote in the gram panchayat elections in the district is 13,14,016, of which 6,39,254 are women.
Official sources said 1,584 booths would be set up to conduct the elections. The election to panchayats such as Margutti in Kalaburagi taluk; Mataki, Madaki, Donnur, Duttargoan, Hittalshirur, Bhusnur, and Haltadkal in Aland taluk; Madari and Karakihalli in Jewargi taluk; Shellagi, Rampurhalli, and Kollur in Chittapur taluk; and Garagpalli and Karchkhed in Chincholi taluk will not be held due to the stay obtained in courts.
The elections to Okali in Kalaburagi taluk, Salagarbasavantpur, Mogha, Rummangud, and Polakpalli in Chincholi taluk would not be held as the term of office is not yet completed.
