Mohammad Qureshi, the head of Fulguni Panchayat of Bihar’s Gopalganj district, was shot dead at around 8 am on February 9. Two gunmen opened fire on Mohammad Qureshi. And on February 2, Birendra Kumar Sharma, head of Parna panchayat in Begusarai district, was shot dead by four assailants.
Two days later, three suspects were arrested in connection with the murder of head Mohammad Qureshi. After the arrest, the three suspects pointed the murder towards Mahfuz Ansari, a former head of the panchayat.
According to the police, Qureshi is the tenth village head killed in the state in the last 13 months. On the other hand, this is the second incident of murder of village head in Thave police station area in a week. According to a report published in India Today, 50 village heads of Bihar have been murdered in the last 10 years.
There are more than 8,000 panchayats in Bihar. In December 2021, elections were held for different Panchayat posts. The chief is elected for five years. That means the next Panchayat elections will be held again in 2026.
The Bihar government is also troubled by the murder of the chief
Newly elected Pradhans and The Bihar government is also troubled by the continuous killing of other panchayat representatives. The government has started planning for early trial of criminals and delaying their bail. The government took this decision after the murder of five headmen, one sarpanch and one ward councillor. All of them were killed or got killed by their political opponents.
Chief killed last year in Bihar
Panchayat elections were held in Bihar in December 2021. Seven panchayat representatives, including five chiefs, were allegedly shot dead by their rivals after the results of the panchayat elections. Two princes were murdered. And in Arrah, Jamui and Munger districts, one head each was murdered. A sub-sarpanch was killed in Rohtas, on the other hand a ward councilor was killed in Patna’s Naubatpur area in the year 2022 itself.
Painful of the murder of the chief. Tales
Neeraj Kumar, the head of Faridpur Panchayat of Patna, was murdered in a very gruesome manner. Three motorcycle-riding youths greeted Neeraj with folded hands and then shot and killed Neeraj. Neeraj died on the spot.
The death of village headman Sanjay Singh of Charpokhari police station area of Bhojpur district of Bihar was also painful. After winning the election, Sanjay Singh was returning home on his bike after thanking the villagers. On a deserted road, gunmen riding an ambulance blocked their way and rained bullets on them. Sanjay Singh died on the spot.
The threat to the lives of sarpanches is not new
Home under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Talking to the media, a senior official of the department told that the danger hanging over the village heads in the state is not new. That’s why the demand for bodyguards has also been made from time to time for his safety. According to a report published in the media, Akhyar Khan, the head of a panchayat in Arwal district, said, ‘We have repeatedly demanded bodyguards citing the threat to our lives, but we have been ignored’.
Chhotu Singh, head of Haspura block panchayat of Aurangabad district, told that no head is safe. There is a danger to our life because we are working on the ground. But the government hardly bothers to provide us security. In some districts like Gaya, Jehanabad, Jamui, Munger, Sitamarhi, Rohtas, Nawada, Sheohar, Aurangabad and Arwal, village heads are also afraid of Maoist threats.
Panchayat increased in 10 years Figures of murder of representatives
According to the report of The Statesman, officials say that the murder of newly elected Panchayat representatives is a serious problem for us. In 10 years, the incidents of killing village heads have also increased. In view of the incidents, a quick trial has been planned against the accused of murder within three months. Home Department officials have been asked to provide adequate security to any representative who has threatened life.
What is the government doing in this direction
According to the Statesman report, officials have said that out of total elected representatives in Bihar Panchayat, 90 percent are new faces. In such a situation, providing security to them is a big challenge for the local administration and the government. Taking this matter seriously, the Panchayati Raj Department has started installing CCTV cameras in every panchayat to keep an eye on anti-social elements. As per reports, the state government plans to install 100 CCTV cameras in every panchayat.
Competition is cut-throat to become village headman
The post of village head has always been important in the villages. Apart from many powers, the responsibility of the development fund rests with the head of the village. That’s why becoming a sarpanch in villages is becoming a cutthroat competition. Police have also found political tension and revenge angle in the killings.
Role of village heads
In rural areas The head’s stamp is on every work. The Mukhiya is often referred to as the ‘MLA’ of the Panchayat. From building schools and roads to grants for housing and running anganwadis, as well as distribution of PDS, everything is the responsibility of the headman.
A headman is responsible for a small area or much less than an MLA. The responsibility of the population is given. A panchayat has an average population of about 7,000.
A mukhiya gets about Rs 2 crore for development work annually. According to the report of The Statesman, the role of the chief is going to get more prominence in the coming times. Grants given to local and panchayat bodies have also been increased in the last few years. Apart from this, according to the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, the central government will give a grant of Rs 11,735 crore to the rural local bodies of Bihar.
These grants will be given only for water and sanitation in rural areas. In 2021-22, the center has given an amount of Rs 2,226 crore to the Bihar government. In addition, panchayats will be entrusted with the health care of rural areas. Considering such a huge amount of money, betting for the post of Pradhan is becoming a craze in the rural areas of Bihar. For which they are ready to compete fiercely.