Women can work wonders in local governance: Nagar Panchayat chief

Committed to transforming her late husband’s unfulfilled dream into a reality, Malaudh Nagar Panchayat president Sonia Goyal claimed to have roped in her women followers and colleagues to accomplish the desired targets of providing ideal civic amenities in the town and improving the lifestyle of residents.

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Economic empowerment through self-help groups, promoting formal and informal education, concern for healthcare of children, environmental conservation and inculcating moral values among youngsters, were cited among the avenues where women could yield better results than their male counterparts.

“When policy makers have allowed and promoted political participation and representation of women in governance, why should rural women not be practically involved in decision-making?” asked Goyal, maintaining that rural women had proven their worth in reducing poverty, strengthening food security and contributing to climate resilience.

Acknowledging the gradual development made in various fields by her successors in the Nagar Panchayat, Goyal said that many residents were still concerned about the optimum use of the facilities being provided by government departments, which had resulted in avoidable disappointment.

“Though my late husband served as a councillor for two terms and I for one, we could not rope in residents of all wards for conservative and judicious exploitation of the resources, being provided by the successive governments, irrespective of the party in regime,” said Goyal, paying gratitude to the Almighty for her present authorisation to work for the betterment of all wards.

Goyal said rural women, if allowed to work freely, could work wonders by playing an active role in checking crime, drug abuse, violence, enhancing their family incomes and brightening the future of the town’s youth.