Five Female Sarpanchs Doing Stellar Work In Their Villages

With a postgraduate qualification in biotechnology, Pandram believes that progress can only be made via education, so while running the village and teaching children, she is also continuing with her studies

The sarpanch grew up in a family of farmers, and knows through personal experience what a challenge it can be to acquire a good education. For instance, without a good school in her home village, she had to attend a residential school elsewhere – something that not all families can afford. In her case, it was her father Udai Singh Pandram’s determination, despite his shaky financial position, to educate his three children that saw her in school at all.

When Pandram finally graduated in Bilaspur, her dream was to crack the civil services examination. Meanwhile, the villagers voted her to power by 300 votes in the 2015 sarpanch election, based solely on her academic qualifications, according to TOI,

For Pandram, being a sarpanch is about developing the village. Her two biggest campaigns have been to improve sanitation facilities in the village, and to encourage girls to pursue higher education in other towns. Her efforts so far have paid off. Since she came to power, about 600 households have constructed indoor toilets.

Also: At 24, Ritu Pandram, Chhattisgarh’s youngest sarpanch, is already changing the world

3. Gangubai Nivrutti Bhambure, Sarpanch of Bhamburwadi village, Pune

Gangubai Bhambure (Image: asianage.com)

Her buoyant attitude can intimidate anyone. The day she got elected as sarpanch of Bhamburwadi village in Pune district’s Khed taluka, the first words we heard from the new sarpanch were “now it’s time to work”.

Soon after becoming the sarpanch, she resolved to help 250 farmers from seven villages. The farmers own a total of 1,000 hectares of land, but lack of water for around eight months each year means they can’t grow anything on it. Bhambure had chalked out a plan to help them irrigate the farms.