Husbands of panchayat chiefs calling shots?

PUDUKKOTTAI: A petition was submitted at Pudukkottai Collectorate alleging that women panchayat presidents in certain areas were not discharging their duties and that their husbands were acting as panchayat chiefs  

In his complaint, Raman Sivakumar, district secretary of Puthiya Tamilagam, alleged that public were being forced to meet the husbands of panchayat presidents for grievance redressal. “In Kavinadu, and Thiruvengaivasal, we have seen women leaders don’t work.

They ask villagers to meet their husbands when they visit them with problems. The whole point of reservation for women leaders is to empower them,” said Raman Sivakumar. He demanded that women panchayat chiefs must only deal with the issues and no one else should take over the responsibility. “I have spoken to authorities, who have agreed to speak to the concerned presidents,” said Sivakumar.