First all Girls’ Panchayat Formed in Haryana Village of Barseen, Fatehabad

Manoj Kumar
info@impressivetimes.com

Fatehabad, April 22: Haryana’s first all- Girls Panchayat was formed on Tuesday in the village of Barseen, in District Fatehabad, under the initiative of the Zila Parishad. This unique Panchayat was constituted through a formal voting process, where girls aged between 11 to 21 participated and were elected. The event took place at the Government Senior Secondary School in the village, where Deputy Commissioner Mandeep Kaur participated as the chief guest. She handed over election certificates to the newly elected Sarpanch and Panch members. Since this was coincidently the occasion of Earth Day, she also planted trees in the school premises to promote environmental conservation.

Deputy Commissioner Mandeep Kaur, in her address, said that the Girls’ Panchayat in Barseen is a pilot project. Similar Panchayat will be formed in every village of the district to work for the welfare of girls. The main aim of these Girls’ Panchayat is to promote the “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” campaign and gender equality.

Some Panch members were elected unopposed, including Manpreet from Ward 1, Jessica from Ward 4, Manisha from Ward 7, Pratigya from Ward 8, and Srishti from Ward 9. Astuti Kamboj was elected as the Sarpanch, receiving 22 votes. Sakshi and Anushikha tied for second place with 19 votes each.

The elected Panch members are Ward 1: Manpreet, Ward 2: Simran, Ward 3: Ranjana, Ward 4: Jessica, Ward 5: Komal, Ward 6: Misti, Ward 7: Manisha, Ward 8: Pratigya and Ward 9: Srishti

The DC explained that while the Girls’ Panchayat will not have constitutional or financial powers, it will be allowed to participate in Gram Sabha meetings and submit their suggestions. The aim is to give girls an opportunity to take part in community governance and develop leadership skills, awareness, and civic responsibility. The Panchayat will work on issues such as education, health, safety, sanitation, and gender equality, and will coordinate its activities with the main village Panchayat. The girls will also receive training in governance, leadership, and social issues.

Zila Parishad Chairperson Advocate Suman Khichar emphasized that the initiative will not only empower girls but also bring a fundamental shift in the Panchayati Raj system. “When girls between 11 and 21 years of age are actively involved in Panchayat activities, they will develop leadership qualities and gain a deep understanding of grassroots governance. When these girls become real Panchayat members in the future, they will be capable of working independently,” she said.

Present at the event included Zila Parishad CEO Suresh Kumar, BDPO Anil Jiyani, Municipal Council Vice-President Savita Tuteja, Block Committee Chairperson Pooja Charaipotra, Sarpanch Vikas Kamboj, Subhash Khichar, Kalu Barseen, Ajay Barseen, Hardeep, Councillor Mohanlal Narang, School Principal Vijay Singh, teachers Yogendra, Rampal, Harminder, Sunil, and many respected villagers and students.