Maha: An all-female team elected to run Badlapur housing society

Thane (Maharashtra): In a rare development, the members of a newly-formed cooperative housing society in Badlapur town have unanimously handed over the reins of management to a group of 11 well-educated women, bringing to the fore ‘nari shakti’ in a different avatar.

Inspired by the Centre’s Nari Shakti Act passed last year, all the complex affairs of the 24-member strong Kavita Residency Cooperative Housing Society here will now be manned by an all-women team, all working and earning members of their homes too.

“At a recent meeting, the 11-women executive committee was elected unopposed in this cooperative housing society, comprising 24 flats built under a redevelopment project. All the 24 members unanimously decided that the society’s affairs should be run by an all-women team,” said one of the members.

They are: Jyoti V. Bhavsar elected as President, Archana A. Tatkar as the Secretary and Poonm S. Rajwade is named the Treasurer, coincidentally all of them are commerce graduates and working women.

The other executive committee members include Deepti A. Ketkar (a banker), Kalpana Brahmankar (president of a women’s SHG and treasurer of Gramsang comprising 26 SHGs).

Another is Tejal M. Dhanawade, a M.Com, while Shubhangi K. Dutonde is a B.Com, Jyoti N. Dhamane and Tripti G. Bane are nursing professionals, the 75-year-old Pratibha P. Jade and Ganga Sharma representing the North Indian community are also in the executive committee.

The proud husband of one of the top office-bearers of the Society claimed that this is probably the first all-women-run housing society in the Mumbai metropolitan region.

It has garnered considerable attention and has already become the topic of hushed ‘gossip’ among the men-folk in the entire locality, who feel a tad insecure.

“Now, all the (male) members are looking forward to ‘relax in peace as the womenfolk handle both their homes and the society... Of course, we shall be always ready to help them in case they encounter any problems with the civic body, or the registrar of society or other such grumpy officialdom,” he assured.