Lok Sabha Question No. 122 (STARRED), answered on 2016-11-24
Subject: Participation of Women in Panchayats
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: PINAKI MISRA, PREM DAS RAI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 122

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.11.2016

## PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN PANCHAYATS

## *122 SHRI PINAKI MISHRA & SHRI PREM DAS RAI:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

- a) the number of women sarpanchs in the country, State/UT-wise;
- b) the present status of participation of women in Gram Panchayats;
- c) whether the Union Government has received complaints from them with regard to harassment, non-cooperation and other matters;
- d) if  so,  the  number of such complaints received during the last three years and the current  year  and  the  follow-up  action  taken  by  the  Union  Government  thereon, State/UT-wise; and
- e) the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Union  Government  to  increase participation of women in panchayats?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF PANCHAYATI RAJ (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN PARTS (a) to (e) IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 122 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.11.2016 REGARDING PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN PANCHAYATS

(a )& (b): As  per  information  available,  details  of  women  sarpanchs  are  given  at Annexe-I.  As per the information received from the States/UTs, there are about 13.42 lakh  Elected  Women  Representatives  (EWRs)  including  women  sarpanchs  in  the Panchayati  Raj  Institutions  (PRIs).  A  statement  showing  number  of  Elected  Women Representatives is at Annexe-II Article 243D  (4) of the Constitution ensures participation of women in PRIs by mandating one-third reservations for women in seats and  offices  of  chairpersons  in  Panchayats.  Government  is  encouraging  increased involvement of the women in the functioning of Panchayats through active participation in  the  Gram  Sabha  Meetings  for  preparation  of  Gram  Panchayat  Development  Plans and various schemes being implemented by the Panchayats.

(c)  &  (d):  Generally,  complaints  pertaining  to  Elected  Women  Representatives  are written to States, this being a State subject. Ministry has received two complaints - one each in 2015-16 & 2016-17 - of harassment and non-cooperation from woman sarpanchs. These  have  been  addressed  to  the  concerned  State  Governments  for  redressal  of grievances.

(e):  The  Ministry  issues  advisories  from  time  to  time  to  State/UT  Governments  to enhance the presence and participation of women in Panchayats.

******

## Annexe-I

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question no 122 to be answered on 24.11.2016

## Details of women sarpanchs

| SL No.   | States/UTs            |   Women Sarpanch |
|----------|-----------------------|------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh        |             6584 |
| 2        | Assam                 |             1093 |
| 3        | Chhattisgarh          |             5822 |
| 4        | Gujarat               |             4600 |
| 5        | Haryana               |             2565 |
| 6        | Himachal Pradesh      |             1631 |
| 7        | Jharkhand             |             2284 |
| 8        | Karnataka             |             3479 |
| 9        | Kerala                |              494 |
| 10       | Madhya Pradesh        |            11864 |
| 11       | Maharashtra           |            13960 |
| 12       | Manipur               |               64 |
| 13       | Sikkim                |               88 |
| 14       | Telangana             |             4600 |
| 15       | Tripura               |              285 |
| 16       | Uttar Pradesh         |            19992 |
| 17       | Uttarakhand           |             4007 |
| 18       | West Bengal           |             1657 |
| 19       | Lakshadweep           |               10 |
| 20       | Chandigarh            |                4 |
| 21       | Tamil Nadu            |             4289 |
| 22       | Goa                   |               79 |
| 23       | Rajasthan             |             5121 |
| 24       | Dadara & Nagar Haveli |               11 |
|          | Total                 |            94583 |

## Annexe-II

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question no 122 to be answered on 24.11.2016

## Number of Elected Women Representatives

| SL No.   | States/UTs          |   Elected Representatives |   Elected Women Representatives |   Elected Women Representatives (%) |
|----------|---------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh      |                    156049 |                           78025 |                               50    |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh   |                      9356 |                            3094 |                               33.07 |
| 3        | Assam               |                     26844 |                           13422 |                               50    |
| 4        | Bihar               |                    136325 |                           70400 |                               51.64 |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh        |                    158776 |                           87549 |                               55.14 |
| 6        | Dadra &Nagar Haveli |                       136 |                              47 |                               34.56 |
| 7        | Daman &Diu          |                        97 |                              28 |                               28.87 |
| 8        | Goa                 |                      1559 |                             514 |                               32.97 |
| 9        | Gujarat             |                    132726 |                           43670 |                               32.9  |
| 10       | Haryana             |                     68152 |                           24876 |                               36.5  |
| 11       | Himachal Pradesh    |                     27832 |                           13947 |                               50.11 |
| 12       | Jammu and Kashmir   |                     38282 |                           11169 |                               29.18 |
| 13       | Jharkhand           |                     51327 |                           30373 |                               59.18 |
| 14       | Karnataka           |                     95307 |                           50892 |                               53.4  |
| 15       | Kerala              |                     19089 |                            9897 |                               51.85 |
| 16       | Madhya Pradesh      |                    396819 |                          198409 |                               50    |
| 17       | Maharashtra         |                    203203 |                          101466 |                               49.93 |
| 18       | Manipur             |                      1784 |                             868 |                               48.65 |
| 19       | Odisha              |                    100791 |                           49697 |                               49.31 |
| 20       | Punjab              |                     97180 |                           33609 |                               34.58 |
| 21       | Rajasthan           |                    121008 |                           70531 |                               58.29 |
| 22       | Sikkim              |                      1099 |                             549 |                               49.95 |
| 23       | Tamil Nadu          |                    119399 |                           39975 |                               33.48 |
| 24       | Telangana           |                    103468 |                           46702 |                               45.14 |
| 25       | Tripura             |                     10939 |                            3930 |                               35.93 |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh       |                    718667 |                          297235 |                               41.36 |
| 27       | Uttarakhand         |                     61451 |                           35537 |                               57.83 |
| 28       | West Bengal         |                     59296 |                           29579 |                               49.88 |
| Total    | Total               |                   2916961 |                         1345990 |                               46.14 |

*****