Husbands of elected members dominate ZP meeting in Solan

Ambika Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Solan, July 19

The first quarterly meeting of the newly elected Zila Parishad members held at Solan today was dominated by husbands of the elected woman members.

As per the norms, only elected members and government officials can attend such meetings but husbands, too, made their way to the venue.

Husbands of at least four elected women members were present at the meeting and they not only occupied the chairs meant for officials but also forced the latter to sit behind them in utter disregard for norms.

Zila Parishad vice-chairperson Kamlesh Panwar raised a question about the poor state of a link road connecting the public health centre at Loharghat, which caters to seven panchayats.

Chief Medical Officer Rajan Uppal was replying to the question when Panwar’s husband Babu Ram, who is also a senior BJP leader from Arki, started elaborating upon the poor state of the road.

Leading the discussion, he said it was an 800-m stretch where the elderly have to be lifted during a medical exigency.

He went on to say that he was also a member of a grievance committee and that particular problem had failed to attract the attention of officials, who should be asked what action they had taken.

He was unstoppable when a question pertaining to a retaining wall’s repair in his area was asked. He was seen questioning the PWD officials while his wife failed to make her presence felt.

This emboldened the husbands of other elected women members.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Zaffar Iqbal, who had recently joined, claimed that a clear message had been sent to the husbands of the elected women members to not attend the Zila Parishad meetings.

They were not invited but being the first Zila Parishad meeting of the newly elected body, they came on their own, he said.

Though elected women members are capable and they exhibited their leadership skills but this episode has left officials high and dry.

Norms defied

•  As per the norms, only elected members and government officials can attend such meetings
• However, husbands of at least four elected women members were present at the meeting. They not only occupied chairs meant for officials but also forced the latter to sit behind them in utter disregard for norms.