Land auction: Dalits say officials biased

Sangrur, July 14

The controversy over the auction of reserved land for Scheduled Caste (SC) from the common land has allegedly divided many villages on caste lines. Members of two organisations — Zameen Prapati Sangharash Committee (ZPSC) and the Krantikari Pendu Mazdoor Union (KPMU) — which are leading protests of SCs for the reserved land, have accused officials of the Panchayat Department of playing into the hands of upper caste and helping them to encroach reserved land through dummy bidders.

Members of both organisations said though the annual lease rate of the reserved land had come down from Rs 50,000 to Rs 20, 000 per acre during the last three to four years, tension still continued.

“At present we are working in 50 villages. This year we have got passed resolutions in gram sabhas of Mullowal, Dhandiwal and Tolewal villages to give reserved land to SCs for 33 years on annual lease. But officials have four times cancelled Mullowal auction and Dhandiwal and Tolewal for six times and also got false cases registered against us,” said Mukesh Malaud, district president, ZPSC.

District Development and Panchayat Officer Narbhinder Singh denied the allegations and said they had sent the resolution of Tolewal village to the director of their department for further action. — TNS