Community radio becomes new tool in fight against ‘sarpanch pati’ practice

New Delhi: To enhance its outreach among the rural population, the Panchayati Raj Ministry is using community radio to spread awareness about a range of issues, including combating the “sarpanch pati” practice and promoting digital initiatives.

The ‘sarpanch pati’ system is a practice in which the husband of an elected woman sarpanch wields the actual power.

According to officials, the pilot project for using community radio has been started in three states -- Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra -- and have received a good response.

“Jan Jan Tak Jankari”, a series of community radio programmes launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, aims at involving the local populace in grassroots governance by providing them with updates on various activities, interventions, and initiatives spearheaded by the govt, an official told news agency.

Five community radio stations have been engaged in different districts of the three states, the ministry official said.

In Bihar, the pilot project is being run through five community radio stations -- Radio Snehi, Siwan, Radio Active in Bhagalpur, Radio Rimjhim in Gopalganj, Radio Mayur in Chapra, and Radio Risarch in Munger. Similarly , Radio Sarang, Radio Manipal, Radio Shivamogga, Nammadhwani Radio, and Antarvani Radio have been engaged in different places of Karnataka. In Maharashtra, Radio Manbhavan in Jalgaon, Guruwani CRS in Kalyan, Radio Vishwas in Nashik, Radio Wardha in Wardha, and Radio Nagar in Ahmednagar have been engaged. “The objective is to actively involve the local populace in grassroots governance by providing them with critical updates on various activities, interventions, and initiatives spearheaded by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj,” the official told news agency. “Even in the digital era, radio continues to be a powerful mass medium, reaching millions of listeners. Rural communities, in particular, still rely heavily on radio for information and entertainment,” the official said.

The official added this initiative is part of the ministry’s broader effort to involve local communities in advancing towards self-sustaining models of Smart Panchayats.

The issues being raised through the community radios include eliminating unwarranted practices like “Sarpanch Pati”, “Pradhan Pati”, and “Mukhiya Pati”, a practice where male relatives of Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) such as their husband, exert undue influence on the woman representative, the official said.

Augmenting Own Source of Revenue (OSR) for Panchayats, and popularising digital interventions such as the Meri Panchayat App, eGramSwaraj Bhashini, Panchayat NIRNAY, Vibrant Gram Sabha will also be covered through the programme. Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) will also be covered, which includes having poverty-free villages with enhanced livelihood, healthy, child and women friendly, water sufficient, clean and green village, with self-sufficient infrastructure, socially just and socially secured environment, and good governance.