Jhajjar: 3 villages object to formation of Badli MC, launch agitation
Ravinder Saini
Jhajjar, September 19
Ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections, residents of Badli, Mohammadpur Majra and Pasaur villages have upped the ante against the government move to include their villages in the newly formed Badli Municipal Committee (MC).
Besides launching an indefinite dharna, four of them have started an indefinite fast to demand the rollback of the government decision to form the MC. The protesters say they want the status of gram panchayat back.
Protesters’ apprehension
- The formation of the municipal committee will entail payment of hefty property tax on all villagers
- “We will not end the agitation until our demand is met,” a protester said
Officials’ stance
- The formation of the Badli MC was notified only after the gram panchayats of these three villages passed a resolution in that regard and forwarded that to the state government
The action comes one-and-a-half years after the state government issued a notification as regards the formation of Badli MC. The agitation entered its fourth day today. The condition of one of the protesters has reportedly deteriorated.
No tax demanded
Notices have been sent to the villagers only for the assessment of their properties and estimated tax thereon so that objections/claims can be invited. No one has been asked to pay any tax. —Rajesh Mehta, Secretary, Badli MC
“Though the villagers have been voicing their resentment against the government decision from the beginning, the notices for the assessment of property tax recently sent to the residents of these villages have added fuel to the fire. A panchayat of three villages held recently over the issue resolved to launch an indefinite agitation, claiming the status of municipal committee was unfavourable to them,” said Sukhbir Nambardar, vice-president of the sangharsh samiti.
Ranbir Gulia, another member of the samiti, said the formation of the municipal committee would entail payment of hefty property tax on all villagers. “We will not end the agitation until our demand is met,” he said.
A district official said the formation of the Badli MC was notified only after the gram panchayats of all three villages passed a resolution in that regard and sent that to the state government.
“The notification was issued in March 2021, but no one showed any resentment at that time. It’s beyond our understanding why they have launched an agitation now and raised the demand of bringing all three villages under the ambit of the panchayati raj institutions again.”
Badli SDM Vishal Kumar told The Tribune he went to the dharna site and tried to pacify the protesters by interacting with them over the issue, but they were adamant on their demand.
