Ahmedabad: For eight years, Ramila Vaghela swept the streets of Nidhrad village, a village in Sanand taluka. She worked quietly, keeping her village clean, and addressing officials respectfully as ‘saheb (sir)’. But this July, the roles will reverse: the former safai worker is now the newly elected sarpanch of Nidhrad and these officials will address her as ‘sarpanch shri’.The 48-year-old won the election by a landslide margin of over 800 votes, securing 1,260 votes against her closest rival’s 380 on Sunday. She is now set to serve a five-year term leading the same village where she spent eight years ensuring its cleanliness as part of a 12-member sanitation team.“This is a big moment for me,” says Vaghela. “I cleaned the streets of this village for years and never imagined I would one day be chosen to lead it.”She adds, “I will assume charge as sarpanch on July 1. The immediate difference will be that panchayat officials whom I called ‘saheb’ will consider me with respect; some may even call me ‘sarpanch shri’.”This year, the sarpanch’s seat was reserved for a candidate from the OBC category. Vaghela was approached by fellow villagers encouraging her to contest. “I agreed. Before going to fill the form, I went to the panchayat office and resigned as a safai worker,” she reveals. With a clear mandate and a strong emotional connect to the village, Vaghela is determined to deliver. The 48-year-old says: “I was once responsible for cleaning the village. Now, as a sarpanch, I will be responsible for ensuring the villagers’ welfare.”Her first priorities include repairing internal roads, ensuring a dust-free environment, and installing streetlights where none exist. “We need better infrastructure, and I want to start with roads and lighting. That will make a big difference to everyone’s daily life,” she says.Another pressing issue is the irregular water supply. “We are planning to dig a new borewell to improve water access. I also want to ensure that all families in the village have their own houses,” says Vaghela. She plans to leverage govt schemes to help achieve her vision.
