30 villages merged with Manesar MC threaten to boycott civic body polls

Gurugram, March 26

Representatives of 30 villages, which were merged with the Municipal Corporation (MC), Manesar, have announced that they would boycott the upcoming civic body and state elections if they don’t get enhanced compensation for over 1,100-acre land acquired in 2011.

Promise not fulfilled

On several occasions, the government promised to enhance compensation for the acquired land, but nothing has been done. If it is not given, we will not allow the government to conduct MC elections. Representatives of villages

The schedule for the civic body polls is yet to be announced, but these are likely be held next month. The state election will be held next year.

The panchayat was called by representatives of four villages Nainwal, Sahrawan, Kukdola and Fazalwas. These villages had already announced that they would boycott the polls. A total of 1,128-acre land in Kukdaula, Fazalwas, Fakharpur, Sahravaan, Mokalwas, Kharkhadi, Tatarpur and Baslambi was acquired for the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway in 2011. The villagers are demanding Rs 900- crore enhanced compensation and interest on the amount.

The representatives decided in the mahapanchayat that the village residents would neither cast votes nor contest the elections. They also announced that a ban would be imposed on any candidate or present public representatives from entering villages.

“Why do we need a government or civic body if they are not concerned with the issues and welfare of the locals? The government on several occasions promised to enhance the compensation, but nothing has been done. If we don’t get our compensation, we will not allow them to conduct elections in the area,” representatives of the villages said in a joint statement.

The villages have been regularly holding such panchayats and had even threated mass euthanasia for the hiked compensation. The villagers said that development in their areas had been suffering ever since the panchayat system was dissolved.

“They took away our panchayat funds and have done nothing for the area. The MLA has also failed to raise the issue of the merged areas. We will keep protesting till the government restores the panchayat system,” Raghubir Kadyan, a local resident, said.