In Haryana, sarpanches on warpath, oppose e-tendering for infra works

Ranbir Singh Gill, sarpanch of Samain village in Fatehabad district, said: “During previous term of the BJP government too a similar e-tendering system was introduced but it was withdrawn after opposition from sarpanches.

Now, again this system has been launched, which has hampered development works in villages.”

Sarpanches have alleged that over time, their powers have been reduced by making several amendments in the panchayat raj Act, 1994. Gill, who is coordinating an agitation against the e-tendering, said: “Despite being head of the village under the panchayati raj system, a sarpanch is not even authorised to utilise the money– as charged in lieu of panchayat land given on contract for cultivation charges–for development of the villages. As village sarpanches, we want full autonomy in executing development works as per the panchayati raj Act, 1994.” Gill said that “in garb of e-tendering, efforts are being made to bring entry of corporates in the villages”.

To express their resentment, sarpanches Monday staged protests at the offices of Block Development and Panchayat Officers (BDPOs). “At most places, they locked the offices of BDPOs for 3-4 hours as part of their symbolic protest,” said Gill. Before this, they held a rally at Tohana (Fatehabad) Sunday to announce the programme of their agitation.

Tohana is the assembly constituency of Haryana Development and Panchayat minister Devender Singh Babli. The protesters have planned to oppose a programme of Babli to be held at Tohana on January 23.

Meanwhile, Babli said the change in the process of executing development works in villages has been done for the welfare of the public only.