MARGAO
Eleven-member Benaulim village panchayat, besides the panchayats of Assolna and Dramapur-Sirlim are amongst the few panchayats in Salcete which may qualify as Pink Panchayats.
For, results thrown up by the panchayats in these three panchayats have brought one startling fact – women will not just outnumber men, but the male members will be reduced to a miniscule minority in these panchayats.
Take the case of Benaulim village panchayat. As per the reservations in the 11-member panchayat body, four seats were reserved for women, while the remaining seats all fell in the general and other categories. As it has turned out, while the four women members have made it to the panchayat body via the reserved wards, another four women have been elected to the panchayat from other wards, taking the number of women elected to the Benaulim panchayat to eight. Sitting panch members, David Fernandes and Xavier Pereira, besides newcomer Tukaram Kesarkar will be the three male members of the body in the next five years.
Take note, the post of Sarpanch of Benaulim is reserved for men this time round after it was reserved for women during the outgoing term, indicating that though women will not be in the saddle of Benaulim panchayat, they can have their way if they remain united.
The story at the 7-member Assolna village panchayat is no different. Three of the wards were reserved for women as per the reservations, but Assolna village panchayat will have more women and men during the new term.
In fact, the panchayat will have as many as five women members, while males will be content with only two seats. Again, the post of Sarpanch of Assolna village panchayat is reserved for women, indicating that the fate of the two males Jack Revlin Ferreira and Ivano Fernandes will be decided by the fairer sex if they fight for supremacy for the post of sarpanch.
In the neighbouring Dramapur-Sirlim panchayat, as many as five out of the seven-member panchayat elected in the elections are women.
