Kaithal sarpanches hold protest against e-tendering of panchayat work

Hundreds of newly elected sarpanches from Kaithal district on Tuesday held a protest at the mini-secretariat demanding the government to withdraw the decision of e-tendering of the work of panchayats.

Hundreds of newly elected sarpanches from Kaithal district on Tuesday held a protest at the mini-secretariat demanding the government to withdraw the decision of e-tendering of the work of panchayats.

The representatives of all 288 village panchayats from the district reached Kaithal to join the protest and they submitted a memorandum to the Kaithal deputy commissioner seeking the intervention of the chief minister. Terming the new decision a “black law”, sarpanches alleged that the decision was taken to weaken the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the state. (HT File Photo/ Representational image)

The representatives of all 288 village panchayats from the district reached Kaithal to join the protest and they submitted a memorandum to the Kaithal deputy commissioner seeking the intervention of the chief minister.

They accused the government of curtailing the spending powers of village panchayats by imposing new rules of e-tendering of developmental projects beyond ₹2 lakh saying that this will affect the working of the sarpanches.

Terming the new decision a “black law”, sarpanches alleged that the decision was taken to weaken the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the state and they will not allow the government to impose such decisions on the elected representatives and they should not suppress the rights of the sarpanches. They also threatened to intensify the agitation by involving sarpanches of all districts if the government failed to withdraw this decision