Sarpanches protest e-tendering of panchayat works across Haryana

Tribune News Service

Hisar, January 16

A day after the show of strength by sarpanches in Tohana, the home town of Development and Panchayat Minister Devender Singh Babli, they staged demonstrations outside the Block Development and Panchayat Offices across the state today to press for their demand for the withdrawal of e-tendering in the development works in the villages and also oppose the ‘Right to Recall’.

Minister Devender Singh Babli extends offer for talks

• Development and Panchayat Minister Devender Singh Babli on Monday extended an offer for talks while stating that the e-tendering process had been initiated to usher in transparency and accountability in the utilisation of development grants
• “In the new system, villagers can get details of the tender of any work to find out every detail related to the work, including amount and other parameters of the quality in works,” he stated
• The minister said a display board would be installed at every development project being undertaken containing detailed information about the work, grant, tender etc
• Ranbir Singh Gill, sarpanch of Samain village in Fatehabad district, who is at the forefront of the agitation, said he had not got any message from the minister so far about talks

The newly elected sarpanches staged a dharna in Hisar town and raised slogans, demanding withdrawal of the provisions of e-tender. The sarpanches locked the office of the BDPO in Hansi. Azad Singh, sarpanch of Dobhi village, said they would also show black flags to the Chief Minister if he arrived in Bidhaikhera village in Fatehabad district on January 23.

In Bhiwani, the sarpanches locked the main gate of the block office in Tosham. Baljeet Singh said they would continue to protest until the government listened to their demands. They opened the lock later after the police intervened in the matter, but the sarpanches refused to relent.

In Fatehabad district, sarpanches locked the offices of the Block Development Officers in Tohana, Bhuna, Ratia, Nagpur and Bhattu blocks. The sarpanches also staged protest demonstration in all seven blocks in Sirsa and Jind districts.

In Mahendragarh, sarpanches of various villages organised demonstration outside block office for several hours. They made several attempts to lock the office, but the cops did not let them do so.

In Ambala, unhappy sarpanches held a protest outside BDPO’s office in Shahabad and Ladwa. Sukhdeep Singh, a sarpanch, said the government’s decision would disturb the development projects in the village.

In Karnal, the call given by the state organisation of the sarpanches had no major impact as sarpanches protested in the Indri block only. Shamsher Singh, president, Indri Block Sarpanch Association, said the government must withdraw this decision as Rs 2 lakh was a meagre amount for the development.

In Rohtak, protesting sarpanches locked the office of the local BDPO. Rohtak District Sarpanch Association president Vikas Khatri said the sarpanches would boycott the rally of Union Home Minister Amit Shah slated to be held at Gohana on January 29 if their demands were not met by then.

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