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Sarpanches continue protest in Haryana
Sarpanches across the state have been protesting since Monday against the e-tendering for execution of development works in rural areas of Haryana. In the scuffle, a sarpanch named Ajay sustained minor injuries and he was taken to hospital for precautionary measures, where his condition is said to be normal.
A minor scuffle took place between sarpanches and police in Rohtak on Wednesday when the village heads had gone to lock the office of block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) here. In the scuffle, a cop also fell on the ground but he did not receive injuries.
In the scuffle, a sarpanch named Ajay sustained minor injuries and he was taken to hospital for precautionary measures, where his condition is said to be normal.
Sarpanches across the state have been protesting since Monday against the e-tendering for execution of development works in rural areas of Haryana.
Former Aam Aadmi party (AAP) leader Naveen Jaihind also extended the support to the agitating sarpanches in Rohtak. Jaihind said he along with newly elected village heads will show black flags to Home Minister Amit Shah in his Gohana rally on January 29.
“Haryana Chief minister and his cabinet ministers stop misbehaving with the elected representatives. The government brought the e-tendering process because the contractors give commission to the government and later they use low quality material to complete the development work,” he added.
Haryana sarpanches form 25 member committee
To spearhead the agitation against the e-tendering process, the village heads of Haryana held a meeting at Rohtak today and formed a 25-member committee led by Ranbir Singh Gill, Sarpanch of Samain village in Fatehabad.
Gill said they will intensify the protest across the state and lock the offices of block development and panchayat officer (BDPO).
“ No sarpanch will send the proposal to carry out development work in their village, until our demands are not met,” he added.
Minister defends e-tendering
Defending the e-tendering process, Haryana Development and Panchayat Minister, Devender Babli on Wednesday said the changes made by the state government after the recent panchayat elections were in public interest. Sarpanches in Haryana are opposing the e-tendering system to carry out development works in villages, claiming it has curtailed their powers.
In a statement, the minister said the work which used to be done manually earlier will now be done through a software. Development works which used to remain pending for long will be done in a time-bound manner while ensuring the quality of work, he said. Babli said that power of sarpanches had not been curtailed by the government. On the contrary, the government has tried to give public representatives more power by transferring tasks which were previously handled at the headquarter level to the districts.
He requested all the panchayat representatives perform their duties with responsibility and cooperate with the government. He said that for any further information or issues a toll free number 8802647777 has been started for panchayat representatives.
