Panel Asks States to Act Against Sarpanch-Patis
It noted persistent issues post-1992 reforms, urging states to act since panchayats fall under state lists.
Hyderabad: In a stark revelation shaking rural India's grassroots democracy, the panchayati raj ministry's advisory committee has exposed how male family members — often husbands dubbed "sarpanchpatis" — are hijacking the roles of elected women representatives in panchayati raj institutions (PRIs).
Formed on Supreme Court orders in September 2023, the panel's February 2025 report details "smart strategies" used by proxies and rolls out bold reforms to ensure genuine women-led governance. Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh shared these insights in the Rajya Sabha, amid Telangana's strong women representation in recent panchayat polls assumes greater significance.
Despite 46.6 per cent of India's 32.29 lakh panchayat seats held by women — thanks to the 73rd Amendment's one-third quota, upped to 50 per cent in states like Bihar — many elected women sarpanchs remain figureheads. Male relatives employ cunning tactics: attending meetings uninvited, signing official documents using the women's seals, issuing verbal orders to officials, and controlling finances under the guise of "family support."
In extreme cases, they build separate offices or homes to operate as unofficial pradhans, evading scrutiny while women pose for photos at events. This "proxy leadership" defeats reservation goals, with Telangana reporting 7,098 such complaints historically, though recent training has curbed some instances.
The panel, titled "Transforming Women’s Representation and Roles in Panchayati Raj Systems," flagged proxy control as a nationwide malaise, reducing empowered women to puppets in patriarchal setups. It noted persistent issues post-1992 reforms, urging states to act since panchayats fall under state lists.
Though no Telangana-specific findings were highlighted, but the state's December 2025 elections — with women clinching over half of 5,849 reserved sarpanch seats — underscore the urgency amid high PRI performance like 13 national awards in 2023.
The panel made game-changing recommendations to dismantle this shadow rule. The committee proposed a multi-faceted blitz, asking the states to give legal teeth and increase penalties.
The states were asked to enact laws with "exemplary penalties" like disqualification for proven proxies, plus FIRs for fraud. It also suggested constituting women ombudspersons, dedicated grievance cells at district levels for anonymous complaints against interference. To improve public accountability, the panel suggested making it mandatory to video-record the oath taking ceremonies of women leaders and conduct annual social audits of PRIs.
The panel also suggested pairing new women elected representatives with seasonal leaders for mentorship and training. It also suggested expanding "Shashkta Panchayat Netri Abhiyan," which trained 64,863 WERs by December 2025.
