Kiran Bedi Advocates for Scooties to Empower Women Panchayat Leaders

Former Lt Governor of Puducherry, Kiran Bedi, urged the government on Wednesday to introduce a scheme providing electric scooters to women representatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions. The call was made during an event in New Delhi attended by around 400 women representatives from PRIs.

Bedi noted that the scooters would address the mobility issues faced by women leaders, who often rely on male relatives for transportation. 'If a woman lacks mobility and depends on her husband or son for transport, she cannot be fully independent,' Bedi stated.

The event also addressed the 'Sarpanch-Pati' practice, where male relatives of female sarpanches wield control. Secretary for Panchayati Raj, Vivek Bharadwaj, emphasized the need for specialized training for women representatives, acknowledging the existing shortcomings in leadership training. He called for an end to the practice of 'Pradhan Pati.'

(With inputs from agencies.)