Patna, June 27: Women mukhiyas in Bihar’s hinterlands are learning to leave their husbands behind.

The number of mukhiya patis or panch patis (husbands of women mukhiyas ) attending official meetings has gone down in the state over the past one-and-a-half years.

In November 2011, panchayati raj minister Bhim Singh, of the Janata Dal (United), had warned women mukhiyas to leave their husbands behind when they attend official meetings. Else, he had warned, strict action would be taken against the women mukhiyas.

Bihar is the first state in the country to have reserved 50 per cent of the seats in panchayats for women. The minister’s directive was intended to weed out a proxy institution — or personality — called mukhiya or panch patis, or husbands of panchayat members, that has struck deep roots in the male-dominated stretches of the country.

The warning has had its impact. Bureaucrats say the first change has been that the women mukhiyas themselves answer telephone calls. Earlier, the husbands would receive official calls and do the talking on behalf of their wives.

Kumari Sanju Rani (32), the mukhiya of Nepa-Tepa panchayat in Tekari block of Gaya district, 140km south of Patna, agreed that much has changed. “Things have changed now. My husband no more attends official meetings ever since the minister issued the directive. After so many struggles, I have become a member of the panchayat and I do not want to lose this post because of a minor issue. I have now realised that it is not ethical of me to allow my husband to preside over the meetings on my behalf,” she said.

Kumari Sanju said that on an average, two to three meetings at the block level are held every month and she makes sure to attend them. What does her husband do when she is away? “He just drops me at the venue and then leaves. He does not interfere in my official work. But yes, I do not mind taking suggestions from him,” she added.

Sangeeta Devi, a woman mukhiya of Bhavanipur panchayat in Aurangabad district, had resented the minister’s order since she was comfortable with allowing her husband to carry out official work by proxy.

“I did have reservations about the minister’s order but I gradually realised that the government is doing this to empower us. So instead of opposing the order, I decided to follow it. My husband may be the head of the family but as far as the panchayat is concerned, it is in my jurisdiction. He does not need to play any role in it,” said Sangeeta.

“If the government has given 50 per cent reservation to women at the panchayat level, there must be some logic behind the decision,” she pointed out.

Block development officers (BDOs) accepted that though the husbands continue to offer suggestions to their mukhiya wives, the women are more regular at the official meetings.

“They (the husbands) just do the job of a transporter whenever there is meeting. They come to drop their wives. They can sit at home, they can sit outside the meeting hall but they cannot be present during the meeting. It is a very good sign and in the coming days, the number will become nil,” said Parmatma Singh, the BDO of Dinara block in Rohtas district.

Bihar has succeeded where many other states haven’t in keeping the husbands in their place. A similar order issued by the government in Rajasthan, which too has implemented the 50 per cent quota norm, has failed to click and husbands continue to discharge duties on behalf of their wives.

The interference by menfolk reflects the deeper malaise of lack of education and empowerment, although Bihar is not unfamiliar with women running the show on behalf of their husbands. The state was ruled by Rabri Devi for eight years from 1997 after her husband Lalu Prasad resigned following the fodder scam charges and foisted her on the chair.

The 50 per cent quota was one of the first decisions taken by chief minister Nitish Kumar after he came to power in 2005.

But many of the women are wives of powerful village leaders who cannot contest the elections owing to the reservation. Some of the elected ladies are unlettered and are forced to depend on others.

A mukhiya has to maintain registers, look after around 35 schemes and prepare the below-poverty-line list — tasks not easy for those with little or no formal education. An NGO official pointed out that often panchayat meetings are convened by district magistrates far away from the villages, making it difficult for women to travel alone.

Minister Bhim Singh said he was happy that his tough words had had their desired effect. “Now the female mukhiyas have become more alert and they know very well that they can land in trouble if they allow their husbands to attend official meetings. The chief minister had also stressed that he does not want to hear the phrase mukhiya pati anymore.”

Anju Devi, a 32-year-old mukhiya of Bakhri panchayat in Patahi block of East Champaran district, said she now realizes that she had done a disservice to the women who had voted her to power. “I have been officially assigned to represent the people of my panchayat so why should I allow my husband to attend meetings on my behalf? It does not send a good message to my supporters.”