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Haryana sarpanches push for revoking of e-tendering, Right to Recall Act
Ranbir Singh Gill, sarpanch of Samain village in Fatehabad district, who is leading the protest, said all elected village heads will block roads connecting their villages from 7am to 1pm tomorrow. He further said if their demands are not met, they would take a call to move towards Chandigarh or Delhi.
In a show of strength, the sarpanches of Haryana on Saturday gathered at Jassia village here and gave an ultimatum to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janta Party dispensation to accept their demands of revoking the e-tendering system for development works in villages and the Right to Recall Act within a week.
Ranbir Singh Gill, sarpanch of Samain village in Fatehabad district, who is leading the protest, said all elected village heads will block roads connecting their villages from 7am to 1pm tomorrow.
“We will request the villagers not to attend Union home minister Amit Shah’s rally in Sonepat’s Gohana tomorrow. We will also not allow Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to address the February 3 rally in Jind’s Narwana. All elected sarpanches have unanimously decided to give an ultimatum to the state government to resolve our issues within a week,” Gill added.
He further said if their demands are not met, they would take a call to move towards Chandigarh or Delhi.
The sarpanches are on a warpath after the Haryana government curtailed their spending powers, besides bringing in the Right to Recall Act in the panchayats.
Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Naveen Jaihind, who also attended the programme, said the government should implement the Right to Recall Act on MLAs and MPs before doing it for sarpanches.
Panchayat minister Babli reiterated that the e-tendering process has been initiated to bring transparency and accountability in the utilisation of funds. “I have extended an offer to the protesters to come and hold a dialogue,” he added.
Jannayak Janata party supremo Ajay Chautala said the MLAs and MPs have been using their spending powers through e-tendering process and the village heads should adopt this system for transparency.
“If any hurdles come in the way, the government will modify it. The BJP-JJP government wants to ensure development of all villages,” he added.
