x

Like our Facebook Page

   
Early Times Newspaper Jammu, Leading Newspaper Jammu
 
Breaking News :   Doctors - The Unsung Heroes of Healthcare | WHEN RS 10 FEELS EXPENSIVE ON A CART, BUT NOT IN A CAFE | Urdu For Naib Tehsildar Recruitment Test | Yatri Niwas in Srinagar | LG Sinha inaugurates SASB Yatri Niwas at Pantha Chowk | LG launches campaign for zero-waste pilgrimage | 'Amarnath Yatra arrangements upgraded' | Heroin worth Rs. 420 crore seized in Rajasthan; Pak-based smuggler, Canada handler named | Within minutes after formation of PAC, NC mocks Sajad Lone’s new political front as ‘BJP’s B-Team’ | CM Omar calls for revival of buyer-creator relationship at SKICC Meet | Salal Dam gates opened amid rising Chenab Water levels | DGP chairs joint security review meeting in Anantnag, visits key areas | Major reshuffle in ACB J&K | From warzone to homeland: Kashmiri students hail India’s rescue mission with tricolour cheers | Security Forces bolster security with hi-tech gadgets | Token distribution for registration begins | Security Forces conduct joint mock drill | India woman footballer Soumya undergoes surgery after nasal bone fracture | Lack of variety in India's bowling attack is concerning: Chappell | National-level minor boxer alleges sexual harassment by woman coach | | MCM launches workshop on Skill Development, Entrepreneurship | GDC Kathua honours NCC Cadet Mohit Kanathia with grand welcome ceremony | Missing person traced from Pallanwala within 2 days | JKHCBAJ unveiles Portrait of Maharaja Hari Singh ji, inaugurated | Four JKAS Officers transferred In Transport Dept Reshuffle | J&K police arrest 87 in drug crackdown, seize narcotics worth Rs 2.42 Cr | Gross GST collections double in 5 years to record Rs 22.08 trillion in FY25 | Srinagar police attaches residential property worth Rs 50 lakh | SKUAST-K holds workshop in Gurez to promote revival of heritage crops | Reasi police solves two theft cases in Katra, accused arrested, stolen property | Union Minister Piyush Goyal to lead transformative FTII Traders conclave | Congress holds impressive Jai Hind Yatra in Poonch City, salutes armed forces, martyrs | Warm, affectionate farewell accorded to retirees of Agriculture Department Jammu | DC Shopian inspects work of rural development projects at Keller | Former JKNPP leaders, senior workers join Apni Party | Committee on Petitions holds meeting in Srinagar | 6000 students participate in NMMSS examination | Ladakh PM Vishwakarma artisans participate in MSME Day celebration | Vi Business’s ready for next - India’s largest digital advisory celebrates growth on MSME day | Indian Army pays tribute to Ex-Serviceman | Civil Defence, Jammu started 5 days CD training programme | Warm send off accorded to Sardar Dharminder Singh Bhargav Head Pharmacist from DHS-J | JKEDI concludes second batch of MDPs in 10 districts | Handicrafts, Handloom Deptt condoles demise of father of Mussrat Islam | IGNOU launches certificate programme for Nurse Managers to Strengthen Managerial Competencies in Nursing Services | Back Issues  
 
news details
Removal of women elected representative can’t be treated lightly: SC
10/6/2024 11:00:28 PM
New Delhi, Oct 6:
Agencies

Removal of an elected public representative should not be treated lightly, especially when it concerns women belonging to rural areas, the Supreme Court has said as it set aside an order for removal of a woman sarpanch in a Maharashtra village.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan termed the matter as a classic case where the residents of the village could not reconcile with the fact that a woman was elected to the office of the sarpanch.
The top court observed that it was a case where villagers were unable to come to terms with the reality that a female sarpanch would make decisions on their behalf and that they would have to abide by her directions.
“This scenario gets further exacerbated when we as a country are attempting to realise the progressive goal of gender parity and women empowerment across all spheres, including public offices and most importantly adequate women representative in elected bodies, such instances at the grass-root level cast a heavy shadow on any headway that we may have achieved,” the bench observed in its September 27 order.
Underscoring that it must be acknowledged that these women, who succeed in occupying such public offices, do so only after significant struggle, the bench said, “All that we would like to reiterate is that the matter of removal of an elected public representative should not be treated so lightly, especially when it concerns women belonging to rural areas”.
The bench was dealing with a plea of Manish Ravindra Panpatil, an elected sarpanch of gram panchayat, Vichkheda situated in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra. She was ordered to be removed from her post after a complaint by fellow villagers that she was allegedly residing with her mother-in-law in a house constructed on government land.
The allegation was denied by Panpatil, who claimed she does not reside in that particular dwelling, and that she lives separately with her husband and children in a rented accommodation.
However, without appropriately verifying these facts and on the basis of “bald statements”, the Collector concerned passed an order disqualifying her from continuing as sarpanch.
“This order was thereafter confirmed by the divisional commissioner. Subsequently, the high
The Supreme Court has said as it set aside an order for removal of a woman sarpanch in a Maharashtra village.
The residents of the village could not reconcile with the fact that a woman was elected to the office of the sarpanch.
It was a case where villagers were unable to come to terms with the reality that a female sarpanch would make decisions on their behalf.
The matter of removal of an elected public representative should not be treated so lightly, especially when it concerns women belonging to rural areas.
court vide the impugned order, dismissed the appellant’s writ petition against the commissioner’s order on a technical ground, thus putting a seal of approval on her removal from office,” the bench noted.
The bench noted that the villagers grasped at straws in their bid to evict Panpatil from her position and their cause was perhaps aided by the mechanical and summary orders passed by government authorities at various levels.
“These orders were passed in a lackadaisical manner, without making any effort towards conducting a fact-finding exercise, so as to confirm whether the allegations levied by the private respondents were sufficiently made out. There is nothing on record to suggest that any objection of the appellant’s family having encroached upon government land was ever raised when she filed her nomination papers,” the bench said.
While noting that the vagaries of the present factual matrix is far from unique and is unfortunately somewhat of a norm, the bench said there is no doubt that the private respondents (villagers) may have operated in a discriminatory manner.
It said what is more worrying is the casual approach adopted by government authorities in summarily removing an elected representative.
“This is all the more concerning when the representative in question is a woman and elected in the reservation quota, thereby indicating a systemic pattern of prejudicial treatment, permeating through all levels of administrative functioning,” it said.
The top court said having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case at hand, it sees no credible and convincing material on record to substantiate the allegations of encroachment of government land by Panpatil before or post her election as sarpanch.
“In this vein, the authorities concerned need to sensitise themselves and work towards creating a more congenial atmosphere where women, such as the appellant, can prove their worth by rendering their services as sarpanch of the gram panchayat,” said the bench, adding that her removal from the office of sarpanch, is highly disproportionate.
It set aside the Bombay High Court order of August 3, 2023 and allowed Panpatil to continue and perform the duties of sarpanch of the gram panchayat till the completion of her tenure.
  Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network  
  Comment on this Story  
 
 
 
Early Times Android App
STOCK UPDATE
  
BSE Sensex
NSE Nifty
 
CRICKET UPDATE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
Home About Us Top Stories Local News National News Sports News Opinion Editorial ET Cetra Advertise with Us ET E-paper
 
 
J&K RELATED WEBSITES
J&K Govt. Official website
Jammu Kashmir Tourism
JKTDC
Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board
Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board
Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board
UTILITY
Train Enquiry
IRCTC
Matavaishnodevi
BSNL
Jammu Kashmir Bank
State Bank of India
PUBLIC INTEREST
Passport Department
Income Tax Department
JK CAMPA
JK GAD
IT Education
Web Site Design Services
EDUCATION
Jammu University
Jammu University Results
JKBOSE
Kashmir University
IGNOU Jammu Center
SMVDU