Odisha woman Sarpanch loses post for being underage

A woman Sarpanch in Nuapada district of Odisha was disqualified and removed from her post after she was found to have no minimum legal age to contest the elections.

The court of the Nuapada district collectorate and magistrate has ordered the disqualification of Bholeswari Dash, the Sarpanch of Sunarisikuan gram panchayat. She was disqualified under Section 11, 25 and 26 of the Odisha Gram Panchayat Act 1964.

As per the order, “Dash is disqualified as per Section 26 of Orissa Gram Panchayat Act and she is removed from the post of Sarapanch of Sunansikuan Gram Panchayat of Khariar Panchayat Samiti U/s 26(2) of OGP Act.1964.”

The order has been passed while hearing a complaint by one Jagamohan Baitharu from the same Panchayat who had filed the petition against Dash with the District Electoral Officer.

Earlier this month, a 62-year-old Sarpanch of Gengutia Gram Panchayat under Sadar block, who was elected in the three-tier Panchayat elections held in 2022, was disqualified for his inability to read and write in Odia language.

Similarly, another Sarpanch in Odisha's Ganjam district lost his post in March 2021 after a court disqualified him on charges that he did not know Odia, and had two wives and six children.

He was elected in the 2017 polls.

(Reported By Mayadhar Saraf, OTV)