Bhadrak: When it comes to the post of a sarpanch, a sarpanch aspirant should be literate. Thus, she/he should be able to read and write Odia. A woman sarpanch has recently lost her post for being illiterate.
The incident surfaced at Bayangdihi Panchayat under Dhamnagar block in Bhadrak district.
As per reports, Kuntala Mallick was elected sarpanch by defeating her rival candidate Bharati Behera in the last Panchayat election.
However, Bharati moved Dhamnagar court against Kuntala alleging Kuntala is an illiterate.
Hearing the case, the court directed the district collector to quash the Sarpanch post.
Challenging the lower court’s verdict, Kuntala appealed before the Orissa High Court. However, she failed to prove herself to be literate in Odia.
Acting on Bhadrak Sub-Collector Monaj Patra’s letter, Naib Sarpanch Pradeep Kumar Barik took up the charge as the Sarpanch of Bayangdihi Panchayat.
Kuntala did not leave her post even after the PEO administered the oath to Pradeep.
As a result. Dhamnagar Block Development Officer (BDO had to paste a notice in front of her residence as per the direction of the Sub Collector and handed over the responsibility of the Sarpanch to Pradeep.
However, Kuntala refused to comment on the issue.
On the other hand, new sarpanch Pradeep Barik said, “The former Sarpanch failed to meet educational qualification. That’s why her post has been cancelled. Following the Sub-collector’s letter, I am discharging my duty of a sarpanch.”
