Chandigarh: Husbands or relatives of elected women will not be allowed to be part of any meeting of panchayati raj institutions in Punjab, the state government said on Wednesday.


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The decision is aimed to stop the practice of meetings being attended by husbands, sons or other relatives on behalf of women representatives of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs), Punjab cabinet minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said, asserting that a long overdue decision was taken to genuinely empower women instead of paying lip service.


There is a 50 per cent reservation for women in PRIs in the state.


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Dhaliwal told reporters here that divisional deputy director (panchayats), additional deputy commissioners (development), district development and panchayat officers, deputy chief executive officers, zila parishad, block development and panchayat officers have been issued directions in this regard to strictly implement the government orders in true sense, otherwise legal action will be taken against violators.


The rural development and panchayat minister said instructions have been issued several times in the past not to allow any woman representative's husband, son or any other family member to participate on their behalf in the meetings of PRIs.


But despite this, it has been observed that whenever there is a meeting of the elected zila parishads, panchayat committees and gram panchayats, instead of the elected women, their husbands or other family members attend the meetings, he said.


"The people who have elected a woman sarpanch, panch, etc, it also amounts to deceiving the public if someone else represents them," he said.


He said equal participation of women is seen in various fields from guarding our country's borders to becoming lawyers, judges, doctors, engineers and excelling in other fields, so there is no reason why someone else should represent them in meetings and other events at panchayat level.


"Women have an important role to play in the progress of our country," he said.


Dhaliwal said the officers concerned have now been issued directions to strictly stop this wrong practice with immediate effect.


Dhaliwal said if any such thing happens in the future where a woman office holder is replaced by her husband or son or any other family member in the meeting, then strict action will be taken