Villagers lock up sarpanch for not holding gram sabha in Maharashtra's Latur

Angry residents of a village in Maharashtra's Latur district locked the sarpanch inside the panchayat office on Tuesday for not holding a gram sabha for two and a half years. As per the government rule, it is mandatory to hold gram sabhas to discuss issues the villages and various developmental schemes.

Sarpanch of Katgaon village Datta Gaikwad had not organised a gram sabha in the last two and half years and had violated the government norms, local Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) leader Vishal Shinde said.

Gaikwad was locked for an hour in the panchayat office and released after he promised to hold a gram sabha on Thursday, it was stated. A probe has been initiated into the matter and if panchayat officials and the sarpanch are found guilty of not holding a gram sabha, strict action will be taken against them, block development officer Tukaram Bhalke said.