Thirty-four-year-old Kavita Bhondwe from Nashik in Maharashtra is hailed as an inspiration for her impeccable work as the sarpanch of not just one but two villages.?
Bhondwe has beaten all odds to become the sarpanch of Dahegan and Waglud, both belonging to the Dindori Taluka in Maharashtra¡¯s Nashik district.?
She was elected as a sarpanch at the age of 25 and is now serving her second term.
She had faced extreme resistance from people and several obstacles as a specially-abled woman vying for a leadership position.
Bhondwe had to face various obstacles as a specially-abled woman vying for a leadership position. ¡°Earlier people used to make fun of me, seeing me on crutches, ¡°she recalled in an interview with news agency ANI. However, Bhondwe remained undeterred and worked hard to achieve her goal of becoming a sarpanch. She said, ¡°I didn¡¯t give up & learnt from my father & village elders. Many did not like the fact that I became Sarpanch at the young age of 25 years.¡±
She has made changes in the working of gram panchayats and has taken strict measures against illegal practices in the two villages.
The country has witnessed a surge in election of women sarpanches in recent years.
Earlier this year, 97-year-old Vidya Devi became the oldest sarpanch in Rajasthan, after winning panchayat polls by a margin of 207 votes.
In 2018, Gurgaon-based Shahnaaz Khan, a 24-year-old medical student became the youngest sarpanch of a village in Mewat region.