Land leased by choice, say Gurgaon villagers

Condemning the BJP’s allegations of an illegal release of panchayat land in favour of Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust in Ullahwas village in Gurgaon, a section of Panchayat leaders defended the Trust on Thursday.

Condemning the BJP’s allegations of an illegal release of panchayat land in favour of Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust in Ullahwas village in Gurgaon, a section of Panchayat leaders defended the Trust on Thursday.

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According to them, they had willingly leased out the land for an eye hospital many years ago.

The barren land was first leased out in 2004 for five years, said a statement signed by Ullahwas sarpanch Azad Singh and former sarpanch Surendra Prakash.

“In the earlier lease, we got just R600 per acre. But in the present lease, we are getting R3 lakh per acre per year. This has hastened development in our village. In fact the village has become a model village of development for people to copy,” said the statement.

“People who do not represent the panchayat, who do not belong to the village and who have no interest in the village's well-being are coming out with irresponsible statements to further their selfish ends. They are doing this for political conspiracy,” reads the statement.

This hospital should give free treatment to people below the poverty line. It should also treat people in the village under subsidised rates.

Apart from treatment, the panchayat leaders have demanded jobs in Group D level posts at the hospital.