PONDA: Deputy Sarpanch Damodar Naik on Sunday avoided answering question from villagers as to why a woman sarpanch was not elected even though the seat is reserved for woman.
It may be recalled that on August 17, 2012, Varsha Naik was ousted as sarpanch following a no-confidence motion and since then Naik is acting sarpanch. The 7-member panchayat has five male and two women panchas.
Incidentally, three consecutive meetings to elect the sarpanch remained inconclusive as no male panch was willing to second the candidature of the other woman panch Mahima Naik to occupy the sarpanch’s post.
On all the three occasions, Panch Varsha Naik had proposed Mahima’s candidature to the sarpanch post. In January, villagers disrupted the gram sabha proceedings and had even decided not to allow gram sabha till woman sarpanch was elected.
