Lok Sabha Question No. 1122 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-21
Subject: Women Sarpanches of Minority Communities
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: FEROZE VARUN GANDHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1122

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 21/12/2017

## Women Sarpanches of Minority Communities

## 1122. SHRI FEROZE VARUN GANDHI:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of women Sarpanches belonging to the minorities in the Panchayati Raj system;
- (b) whether the Government has taken/ proposes to take any measures to make the system more representative;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ (SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a) to (d): As  per  information  available,  details  of  women  sarpanches,  which  include women sarpanches belonging to the minorities are given at Annexure . No separate data for women  sarpanches belonging to minorities is maintained centrally. Part-IX of the Constitution,  which  relates  to  Panchayati  Raj  Institutions  (PRIs),  does  not  specify  any reservation in seats and the offices of chairpersons in PRIs for the minority communities.

Under Article 243D of the Constitution,  provisions  have  been  made  for  mandatory reservation  of  seats  and  offices  of  Chairpersons  in  PRIs  for  persons  belonging  to  certain identified categories like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women.  Moreover, a State Legislature  can  make  provision  for  reservation  of  seats  in  any  Panchayats  or  offices  of Chairperson in the Panchayats in favour of backward classes.  Such provisions of reservation and the rotation of reserved seats and offices of Chairperson to different constituencies make Panchayats inclusive and representative institutions.  Besides, the Gram Sabha which is the forum  that  ensures  direct,  participative  democracy,  offers  equal  opportunity  to  all  citizens including  the  poor,  the  minorities,  the  women  and  the  marginalised  to  discuss,  debate, consider and approve proposals, making the Panchayati Raj system more representative.

## Annexure

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1122

## to be answered on 21.12.2017

| S.No.   | State/ UT          | Sarpanches   |
|---------|--------------------|--------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh     | 6,584        |
| 2       | Andman &Nikobar    | 24           |
| 3       | Assam              | 1,093        |
| 4       | Bihar              | 3,772        |
| 5       | Chandigarh         | 4            |
| 6       | Chhattisgarh       | 5,822        |
| 7       | Dadar Nagar Haveli | 11           |
| 8       | Daman &Diu         | 8            |
| 9       | Goa                | 72           |
| 10      | Gujarat            | 4,676        |
| 11      | Haryana            | 2,565        |
| 12      | Himachal Pradesh   | 1,631        |
| 13      | Jharkhand          | 2,284        |
| 14      | Karnataka          | 3,050        |
| 15      | Kerala             | 471          |
| 16      | Lakshadweep        | 4            |
| 17      | Madhya Pradesh     | 11,864       |
| 18      | Maharashtra        | 13,960       |
| 19      | Manipur            | 68           |
| 20      | Odisha             | 3,351        |
| 21      | Punjab             | 4,431        |
| 22      | Rajasthan          | 5,013        |
| 23      | Sikkim             | 88           |
| 24      | Tamil Nadu         | 4,289        |
| 25      | Telangana          | 4,600        |
| 26      | Tripura            | 285          |
| 27      | Uttar Pradesh      | 19,992       |
| 28      | Uttarakhand        | 4,007        |
| 29      | West Bengal        | 1,657        |
|         | Total              | 1,05,676     |

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