Sarpanches hold protests in Karnal, Kurukshetra against e-tendering

Amid heavy police deployment, the sarpanches from Karnal reached to lock the office of the block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) in Chirao village but the police did not allow them lock the office and they held a protest outside the BDPO office.

Continuing their agitation against the e-tendering of panchayat works above ₹2 lakh, hundreds of newly elected sarpanches on Thursday held protests in Karnal and Kurukshetra.

Continuing their agitation against the e-tendering of panchayat works above ₹2 lakh, hundreds of newly elected sarpanches on Thursday held protests in Karnal and Kurukshetra. (HT File Photo/ Representational image)

Amid heavy police deployment, the sarpanches from Karnal reached to lock the office of the block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) in Chirao village but the police did not allow them lock the office and they held a protest outside the BDPO office. They accused the state government of curtailing spending powers of village panchayats by imposing new rules of e-tendering for the developmental works beyond ₹2 lakh.

A group of women sarpanches continued their protest for the fourth consecutive day at the BDPO office, Shahabad.

Raising slogans against the BJP-JJP government, the protesters demanded that they should be allowed to carry out developmental works worth ₹30 lakh without a tender.