Youngest panchayat chief wants to empower women

Reshma Roy has been elected as panchayat chief of Aruvapulam panchayat in Kerala.

New Delhi: At the age of 21, youngsters normally scroll down their gadgets to find best options for further study or roam pillar to post to get employed. But the story of two young women is different. The 21-year-old young women, Arya Rajendran and Reshma Mariam Roy, are the youngest elected mayor and panchayat president in India, respectively.
Reshma Roy has been elected as panchayat president of Aruvapulam panchayat in Pathanamthitta district In Kerala. The decision to select her as the panchayat president was taken by the CPI(M) district committee. Arya Rajendran has been elected as the mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation. Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, Reshma Roy said, “My aim is to focus on promoting organic farming in the panchayat. Moreover, residents in the panchayat have to use boats to reach town. So, I want to construct bridges with the help of the local MLA.”
Talking about women’s empowerment, she said that as a panchayat president, she wants to involve more women in farming activity and ensure equal pay with men for them in society. She also wants to construct a community hall for women whereby the panchayat can consult about development of the village.”
She further added that she is working with officials to make women feel safe while walking on the streets during the night.
She also said that she would focus on self-sustainability model and promote entrepreneurship in her panchayat. The local administration, under her leadership, would provide incentives to the people who are willing to start their business in the panchayat.
Talking about the pending projects, she told The Sunday Guardian, “We are working on laying pipeline in the villages in order to ensure that the residents receive pipe water. Laying of roads is another important that has been pending for a long time.”
Reshma Roy defeated UDF candidate Sujatha Mohan by a margin of 70 votes, and with the win, LDF wrested power from the UDF in the panchayat after a gap of 20 years. Reshma’s parents are the supporters of Congress, while she took a “Left turn” during her college days.
Ahead of her meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Arya Rajendran told The Sunday Guardian that she wants to make Thiruvananthapuram a smart city, and provide opportunities to locals.
Before this, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was the youngest mayor who was elected at the age of 28 as the mayor of Nagpur Municipal Corporation.