Dholpur district's panchayat has issued an order prohibiting girls from wearing jeans or keeping mobile phones.

The panchayat gathered in Dholpur's Baldiyapura village on Saturday to decide on issues of liquor prohibition, betting and gutkha consumption. However, the meeting ended after arriving at a decision to curtail the freedom of girls by prohibiting them from carrying mobile phones or wearing jeans. It was also decided that in case of any dispute, the matter will be referred to the panchayat head and not to the police.

"The panchayat was held in the village on Saturday on liquor prohibition, betting and use of gutkha. In that, alongwith liquor prohibition, betting and stopping the intake of gutkha, it was also decided to curtail the wearing of such clothes and use of mobiles. Everyone agreed over the order issued over mobile use," Phauran Singh, Panchayat head (panch patel) said.

The decision to prohibit the use of mobile phones or wearing of jeans was arrived at by consensus during the panchayat meeting. "The panchayat that happened in the village happened for the benefit of the society and have taken the vow to disown liquor, betting alongwith other evil practices of the society. Along with that, the ban imposed on daughters of the village for wearing jeans and carrying mobiles is a good thing. It will make the village better. The decision to keep the matter before panch patel in case of a dispute is also right," Jagdish, a villager, said.

PROTESTS AGAINST LIQUOR PROHIBITION

In several villages of Rajasthan, there have been protests in favour of liquor prohibition with the villagers seeking a total ban on sale and consumption of alcohol. However, this decision of panchayat prohibiting girls from wearing jeans or carrying mobile phones has not gone down well with the district administration.

"The administration welcomes the awareness being brought about through consensus by holding many panchayats in one month by villagers of Dholpur and Saipau on issues of liquor and other issues, alongwith doing away with social evils of child marriage and dowry. If the freedom, rights of any person are violated, then it is not right. The ban imposed on girls from keeping mobiles or wearing jeans in the panchayat is violation of law and is not right. But so far no such complaint has been received. If any such complaint is received, then we will take action after consulting senior officials," Vinod Kumar Meena, SDM, told India Today.

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