Lok Sabha Question No. 481 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-25
Subject: Women Sarpanch/Pradhan
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Kapil Moreshwar Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 481

ANSWER ON - 25.06.2019

## WOMEN SARPANCH/PRADHAN

## †481. SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state :-

- (a) the number of women Sarpanch/ Pradhan in the country, State/Union Territory-wise and the role of the Government to enhance women participation in panchayats;
- (b) whether the Government has received any complaint regarding harassment/non co-operation from women Sarpanch/Pradhan; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF PANCHAYATI RAJ (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a)      The  elections  to  the  Panchayat  Raj  Institutions  (PRI)  are  held  under  the  States'/  Union Territories' respective Panchayati Raj Acts. Therefore the representation of women in Panchayats depends on the reservation  policy  of  the  concerned  State/Union  Territory  and  number  of  women elected  etc.  On  the  basis  of  information  received  from  the  States/  Union  Territories,  there  are 106100  women  Sarpanches/  Pradhans  in  Panchayati  Raj  Institutions  (PRIs).  The  State/Union Territory-wise details of women Sarpanches/Pradhans is given at Annexure .

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act provides for reservation of women in Panchayats by  reserving  not  less  than  one-third  seats  for  them  at  each  tier  of  the  Panchayat.  Twenty  States namely,  Assam,  Andhra  Pradesh,  Bihar,  Chhattisgarh,  Gujarat,  Himachal  Pradesh,  Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have made provisions for reservation of fifty per cent  of  total  seats  for  women  in  Panchayats  at  all  levels  in  their  respective  State  Panchayati  Raj Acts. Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has also been focusing on the capacity building of elected women representatives of Panchayats through the Ministry's schemes.

- (b) No, Sir.
- (c) In view of (b) above, the question does not arise.

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Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (a)  of  the  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.481 answer on 25.06.2019 regarding 'Women Sarpanch/Pradhan'

| Sl. No.   | State / Union Territory   |   Women Sarpanch/Pradhan |
|-----------|---------------------------|--------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh            |                     6534 |
| 2         | Andaman &Nicobar Islands  |                       24 |
| 3         | Assam                     |                     1093 |
| 4         | Bihar                     |                     3772 |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh              |                     5822 |
| 6         | Dadra &Nagar Haveli       |                       11 |
| 7         | Daman& Diu                |                        6 |
| 8         | Goa                       |                       73 |
| 9         | Gujarat                   |                     4676 |
| 10        | Haryana                   |                     2565 |
| 11        | Himachal Pradesh          |                     1631 |
| 12        | Jharkhand                 |                     2284 |
| 13        | Karnataka                 |                     3050 |
| 14        | Kerala                    |                      471 |
| 15        | Lakshadweep               |                        4 |
| 16        | Madhya Pradesh            |                    11864 |
| 17        | Maharashtra               |                    13960 |
| 18        | Manipur                   |                       68 |
| 19        | Odisha                    |                     3600 |
| 20        | Punjab                    |                     4431 |
| 21        | Rajasthan                 |                     5341 |
| 22        | Sikkim                    |                       88 |
| 23        | Tamil Nadu                |                     4289 |
| 24        | Telangana                 |                     4602 |
| 25        | Tripura                   |                      285 |
| 26        | Uttar Pradesh             |                    19992 |
| 27        | Uttarakhand               |                     4007 |
| 28        | West Bengal               |                     1557 |
|           | Total                     |                   106100 |