Nagaon, May 31: Residents of several villages under the Garajan Development Block in Assam’s Nagaon district staged a protest on May 30, alleging that the spouses of certain elected panchayat representatives were interfering in the functioning of local self-government institutions.
The protesters assembled outside the office of the Block Development Officer (BDO) and submitted a memorandum seeking administrative intervention into the matter.
According to the protesters, the husbands of some women panchayat representatives were allegedly participating in official matters related to the implementation of government development schemes despite not holding any elected position. They specifically raised allegations against Nurul Amin Choudhury, husband of the president of the Rupohi-Roumari Gaon Panchayat, claiming that he was involved in panchayat-related activities alongside his wife.
The demonstrators also referred to previous state government directives discouraging the participation of spouses of elected women representatives in official meetings and administrative affairs. They alleged that such directives were not being effectively enforced.
In their memorandum submitted to the district administration and the BDO, the residents demanded steps to ensure that elected representatives perform their duties independently and that unelected individuals do not influence the functioning of panchayat institutions.
Several protesters said the issue was linked to the effective functioning of local self-governance bodies and the empowerment of women elected to panchayat positions.
Responding to the allegations, Nurul Amin Choudhury denied any wrongdoing and described the claims against him as baseless.
