Women Protest Against Panchayat Corruption in Assam’s Mayong

Guwahati: Women in Assam’s Mayong village protested against suspected corruption by panchayat representatives and employees on Wednesday in a powerful show of disapproval.

The women charged them of biasedly disseminating government policies outside of the appointed office.

More women joined the protest, raising slogans denouncing the corrupt actions of the panchayat officials as it gained traction. An employee of the panchayat, however, locked the office and ran away in response to the protest.

The incident has infuriated the villagers, who are demanding that the culprits be put on trial immediately.

A day before retiring, on April 30, a Panchayat Secretary in the Cachar district of Assam was arrested on suspicion of embezzling public cash.

According to reports, the accused was arrested a day before his retirement on suspicion of corruption and embezzling public monies given to the Assam government’s Panchayat and Rural Development department and under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for a variety of development projects.

The accused was identified as Ratish Dhar, the Panchayat Secretary of Boali Chengjur Gram Panchayat of the Binnakandi Development Block in the Cachar district of Assam.