Chhavi Rajawat has been elected sarpanch of Soda gram panchayat in Tonk district’s Malpura panchayat samiti for a third term, returning to the post after a six-year gap with a stated focus on education, healthcare, employment and rural infrastructure.
Rajawat, who served two consecutive terms from 2010 to 2020, won in the third phase of Rajasthan’s Panchayati Raj polls. She told the Times of India that she had initially been reluctant to contest because her mother was unwell and hospitalised, but agreed after villagers approached her and urged her to return.
“In 2020, villagers wanted me to continue and contest the election again, but I told them it was time to give someone else an opportunity,” Rajawat said. “However, when they approached me this time, I felt there was still scope for further development in the gram panchayat. That is why I agreed to contest again.”
Her return places local infrastructure and service delivery at the centre of the new term. Rajawat said her priorities would include improving education and healthcare, generating employment and supporting economic upliftment. She also called for greater collaboration with the private sector, individuals and other stakeholders, particularly to accelerate development in the village’s hamlets.
During her earlier tenure, water security was among the key issues addressed by the gram panchayat. Rajawat said the village had previously depended on pond water that was unsuitable for human consumption and agriculture. Measures to increase the storage capacity of existing ponds and revive smaller water bodies helped improve water availability, support farming and raise crop yields by 70%, according to her account.
The earlier work also included strengthening pond embankments to protect hamlets from waterlogging and constructing roads. Rajawat described the revival of small ponds across Soda and its hamlets as a three-pronged strategy that she wants to continue. Her account links water storage, agricultural productivity and protection from local flooding to the functioning of village infrastructure.
Rajawat also said she hopes to develop multipurpose halls with support from private-sector organisations and individuals. The proposed centres could host digital and financial literacy programmes, skill-development workshops, libraries and activities such as judo, particularly for women, young people and economically weaker sections.
The proposal would require funds and coordination among several stakeholders. Rajawat said mobilising resources and bringing these groups together would be crucial to implementing the plans. The facilities, as described by her, are intended to combine community space with access to training, networking and focused skill development.
Rajawat is an MBA graduate who studied at Lady Shri Ram College for Women in Delhi and Sri Balaji Society in Pune. She had worked with corporate companies before leaving city life and returning to her village. Her grandfather, Brigadier Raghubir Singh, had also served as Soda’s sarpanch about two decades before she first took office in 2010.
Her earlier tenure included rainwater harvesting, sanitation improvements, household toilet facilities and women-focused skill-development initiatives. The work brought her national recognition, including an opportunity to address delegates at the United Nations’ 11th Infopoverty World Conference in 2011. Former President APJ Abdul Kalam also honoured her at a Technology Day function in New Delhi.
Rajawat’s next term will therefore combine a return to elected local office with plans centred on basic services, water management, livelihood infrastructure and community facilities. The immediate implementation details, including funding arrangements and timelines for the proposed multipurpose halls and water projects, have not been specified in the report.
