Even before the Udaipur Municipal Council could attain the status of Municipal Corporation from the next fiscal year, April 1, 2013, a formidable issue has arisen, which threatens the materialization of the long awaited dream.

12 Sarpanchs of nearby Gram Panchayats have declared that they will move the courts and place a Stay on the decision to convert the Council to Corporation if their positions and Sarpanch are forfeited.

The issue arose after the declaration that Udaipur will get the status of Municipal Corporation. With the corporation status, 12 Gram Panchayats, which include 37 villages, will come under the office of the Corporation and all the 12 Sarpanchs will have to relinquish their powers.

This has generated insecurity among the Sarpanchs.

Sapetiya Sarpanch Sarasvati Devi Pushkarna clarified that they are not against development nor are they against the status of Municipal Corporation for Udaipur. “However, the tenure of our positions has not yet ended. The post and tenure of Sarpanch should remain as it is. We will talk to the government first but in case of a stalemate, we will knock the doors of the court”, she added.

Shobhagpura Sarpanch Sitaram Dangi put forward similar points, “most of the people in our area are illiterate and we arrive at solutions to all the issues arising in our area comfortably at the Panchayats. We have been elected for development for 5 years; we would not relinquish our positions just like that”.