Guleli is the only panchayat in Sattari, which was stable in the last five years. Every other panchayat in Sattari had more than one sarpanch in the last five years, Guleli stuck to a single person as sarpanch.
Guleli Panchayat falls under Valpoi constituency and is 15 kilometres from the Valpoi town. The panchayat has seven wards, namely, Guleli, Dhamshe, Paikul, Murmuna, Kankire, Sheldhad, and Maigine.
According to the 2011 census report, the population of the panchayat is 3119 people.
The panchayat is being ruled by a BJP panel which includes Vishant Nabar (sarpanch), Nita Gaonkar (deputy sarpanch), Rohidas Gaonkar, Anjay Naik, and Lavoo Gaonkar. The remaining two panchas, namely, Prakash Naik and Ujwala Melekar, are backed by Vishwajeet and Pratapsing Rane.
The panchayat has built crematoriums in Guleli and Kankire; and though it wants to build crematoriums in all other wards, it has been unable to do so, for want of land.
“We want to build crematoriums in the remaining five wards. But people are not ready to give land. If people are ready to give land, then, we will build them, as we already have made financial provisions for the same,” said Sarpanch Vishant Nabar.
Paikul ward had no proper roads for the last 25 years, as such, new roads were built and hot-mixed there.
“Maigine face water shortage problem and we have solved it,” says Nabar.
Panchayat constructed a compound wall around its building using Rs 10 lakhs it got as a golden jubilee funds.
The panchayat is collecting Rs 4.5 lakh annually as house tax, rent and administrative fees. The panchayat receives Rs 28 lakh as a grants-in-aid. “We have spent that money for constructing footpaths and gutters. Whatever amount we are getting at present from the government is very less for development work,” says Nabar.
The main occupation of Guleli Panchayat people is agriculture as almost 82 percent of population is engaged in the sector.
