Ex-sarpanch’s kin fail to file papers for bypoll, blame officials for delay

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 27

The son and wife of a former sarpanch of Hakkuwala village in the Lambi Assembly segment today alleged that due to the delay in issuing them no-dues certificate by the BDPO, Lambi, and panchayat secretary of their village, they could not submit their nomination forms for contesting the byelection scheduled to be held on August 6.

Lila Singh, sarpanch of Hakkuwala village, died recently and the post of sarpanch is lying vacant. Today was the last day to submit the forms for contesting the election.

Speaking over the phone, Jalandhar Singh, son of deceased Lila Singh, alleged, “I and my mother both had to submit the forms but the panchayat secretary wasted so much time in giving the no-dues certificate, which had to be issued by the BDPO, that we cannot submit our forms in time. We had gone to the BDPO office on Tuesday, but the certificate was not issued because the staff was busy in a religious ceremony. Thereafter, the panchayat secretary delayed it on one pretext or another yesterday. They issued us the no-dues certificate after 3 pm today, when the time for submission of forms was over. When we reached the office of naib tehsildar, Lambi, he did not accept our forms.”

Sukha Singh, panchayat secretary, Hakkuwala village, said, “There was no delay on our part. They are now making false accusations.”

Baljit Kaur Dhillon, BDPO, Lambi, said, “No official from my office delayed issuing the no-dues certificate to the election aspirants. They completed their formalities this afternoon and were given certificates. They can be even asked that at what time they had completed all the formalities.”

Jatinder Pal Singh, Naib Tehsildar, Lambi, said, “The election aspirants had come to my office around 3.20 pm. The form submission time was over by then. However, I can’t make any comment about the alleged delay in issuing of no-dues certificate, because that was not my job. They had come to my office to get the caste certificate a few days ago and it was issued to them.”

Gurdeep Singh, who claimed to be a Congress activist, said, “We have brought this matter into the notice of the Deputy Commissioner. The family of deceased sarpanch was in the winning situation, but their nomination forms were not accepted.”