Maharashtra Allows Election Of Village Sarpanch Directly From Electorate

In a significant move, the Maharashtra government on Monday decided to permit the election of village sarpanch directly from the electorate. As per a report in the Live Mint, the State Cabinet decided to amend the Maharashtra Gram Panchayat Act of 1958 to make way for the direct election of the village head from among the people.

“In simple terms, the amendment will enable a bona fide village resident to contest the election for village head. This may bring in more talent and help the village body focus on development,” said a rural development official, requesting anonymity to Mint.

The government is likely to bring about the necessary amendments during the upcoming monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature, starting from 25 July.

Accordingly, any person educated up to class seventh shall be eligible to stand for sarpanch elections and will hold the post for five years.

Bhartiya Janata Party leader and Maharashtra Minister for Rural Development Pankaja Munde said, “The current system of electing the sarpanch from among the elected representatives has had many undesirable consequences. For instance, the elected representatives who voted against the sarpanch keep bringing in no-confidence motions that create instability and affects development works,” Munde said.

Maharashtra will be the third state, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat to introduce the system of electing the sarpanch directly.