Village heads unite to form panchayat union in Phagwara

In a significant move aimed at addressing the growing challenges faced by village heads (sarpanches), representatives from 24 panchayats of Phagwara block convened a high-level meeting today at the local rest house. The gathering focused on key issues, hindering rural development and the lack of respect accorded to the elected representatives in government offices.

During the meeting, sarpanches expressed concern over stalled development projects and the continued neglect of their roles in various administrative dealings. A unanimous decision was made to constitute the Phagwara block panchayat union in the upcoming meeting, scheduled for Saturday, again at the Phagwara Rest House.

Addressing mediapersons after the session, Sarpanch Balwinder Kumar (Baghana), Balwinder Kaur (Hardaspur), Reshmo (Sunnra Rajputan), Palwinder Singh (Ramgarh), Manjeet Kumar (Gandhwan), and Meena Kumari (Kirpalpur) emphasised the need for a collective platform to voice their concerns and ensure the smooth execution of rural development initiatives.

The leaders urged the government to immediately release the long-pending honorarium for sarpanches, stating that village heads are often forced to use personal resources to fulfil the needs of their constituents. They also demanded respectful treatment at offices of the BDPO, police stations and other government departments, highlighting the erosion of dignity experienced by grassroots leaders.

“We are not asking for favours — we are demanding rightful recognition and support to carry out our duties effectively,” said Sarpanch Meena Kumari.

Several prominent sarpanches, including Harjinder Kaur (Manawali), Anita Devi (Navi Abadi Narangpur), Sunita (Duggan), Sukhwinder Kaur (Mast Nagar), Kulwant Kaur (Dhandoli), Jasvir Kaur (Gujratan), Rani (Mehru), Ram Lubhaya (Nanak Nagri), Rajkumar (Narur), Balbir Chand (Jagpalpur), Bakshinder Kaur (Sahni), and Satvinder Singh (Jagjitpur), were present at the meeting.

The upcoming July 19 meeting is expected to see the panchayat union formation and outline its roadmap for engaging with the higher authorities and resolving pressing grassroots governance issues.