Mahapanchayat tells villagers whom to vote for

Farmers and residents of Delhi's entire 360 villages on Sunday held a 'Mahapanchayat' and decided to extend their support to only those parties who will resolve their long pending issues which include a host of civic woes, land reforms and matters related to basic amenities.

Thousands of farmers and villagers gathered at the Mangolpur Kalan for the Mahapanchayat called by North- India's largest Khap Palam 360, and together raised their voice against the neglect that the city's rural belt has been facing since long.

As per locals, they are confined in cramped and unhealthy pockets by the Lal Dora (Red Line) which has reduced them to living in inhuman conditions lacking in basic civic services such as water, power, healthcare and good education.

What is even more alarming is that these villages are not under any ward or rural panchayat, which leaves the fate of the villagers in a pitiful state.

The Mahapanchayat today was addressed by Khap chief Surender Solanki, who hit- out at the government for allegedly neglecting the Delhi's rural belt over the past several years, while their condition has become pitiable with lack of basic amenities forcing people to live in miserable conditions.

Announcing the decision mutually taken by the villagers with regard to the upcoming assembly polls, he made it clear that they will support only those who will assure to resolve the long pending issues of the city's rural belt.

He said that the villagers will no more fall for any verbal assurances by anyone, and demand actual work to be done on ground.

Earlier, the villagers had decided to boycott the upcoming legislative assembly elections in Delhi, as they were fed up of being neglected by the government and the miserable conditions they are being forced to reside in.

He said that there are long pending problems of the city's rural belt including non- allotment of alternative plots in lieu of the acquired farmland, land reforms, allegedly taking away gram sabha land in the name of urbanization, and not developing the same for the use of the rural population.

Many of Delhi's villages even lack basic infrastructure such as proper drainage, sewerage system, water supply, garbage management and host of other issues.