Bhilwara: An 85-year-old woman in Akhepur village of Bhilwara district donated 0.18 hectare of land worth around Rs 20 lakh to the gram panchayat to facilitate construction of a panchayat building, days after her daughter-in-law was elected sarpanch unopposed. Rampyari Devi transferred around 1.25 bigha of her khatedari land to Gram Panchayat Akhepur in Kotri tehsil Thursday, paving the way for the village to build its own panchayat office. The village had no land available for the proposed building. The decision followed discussions between newly elected sarpanch Ratnadevi Bhawani Jat and her husband, Bhawani Jat, before the elections. The land was registered in the name of Rampyari Devi, who agreed to donate it when the family approached her. Within a week of the election results, the family initiated the transfer process. On Thursday, coinciding with Karwa Chauth, Rampyari Devi reached the Kotri tehsil office with her son and two witnesses to complete the registration. The land was registered in the gram panchayat’s name in the presence of Tehsildar Rameshchandra Meena. The registry was subsequently handed over to sarpanch Ratnadevi. Villagers said the gesture reflected the family’s commitment to the village’s development. The donation has removed a key hurdle to constructing a panchayat building, which will provide a dedicated space for local administration and public services. Rampyari Devi’s decision to dedicate a substantial portion of her property to a community project has drawn appreciation from villagers, who see it as an example of how private resources can support local development.
