Sirsa: Gobind Kanda slams contractor over Shivpuri road row

Ex-Councillor warns of hunger strike

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• Former municipal councillor Sushil Saini continued his indefinite protest at Shivpuri for the fourth day, accusing officials of corruption in the construction project

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• He warned the administration that if no action was taken against “corrupt officials”, he would start a hunger strike

• Saini claimed that municipal officials, in collusion with an influential leader from Sirsa, had misappropriated Rs 2.2 crore meant for Shivpuri’s development

• He said the officials were trying to cover up the fraud while the leader was rushing to complete the work using substandard materials

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• Saini claimed that Shivpuri, once a popular spot for visitors, had been neglected for four years, and had now turned into ruins with no proper seating or facilities

• Congress leader Naveen Kedia, executive head of Shri Sanatan Dharma Sabha; and Amir Chawla, head of the Khairpur shivpuri, joined Saini in the protest on the fourth day

In Sirsa, BJP leader and former MLA Gopal Kanda’s brother, Gobind Kanda, and Municipal Council Chairman Veer Shanti Swaroop faced the public for the first time over allegations of corruption in the Shivpuri road construction project.

Amid growing criticism, they called the road contractor to a public gathering to respond to accusations. What followed was a tense exchange between the three, filled with accusations.

During the confrontation on Thursday, Gobind Kanda strongly criticised the contractor and made a controversial statement: “People eat food worth a few rupees, but my dogs drink milk that costs even more. That’s how much we have at home, you have no idea.”

His remarks quickly became the highlight of the meeting. Kanda accused the contractor of spreading rumours that the road work was stalled because of him, and of falsely claiming that he had bribed officials.

He demanded to know who the contractor had allegedly told these things to, and asked him why he was creating a stir in the city.

The contractor denied all allegations and said he never made such statements.

Swaroop also criticised the contractor, stating that he had been spreading nonsense and creating confusion among the people. The argument continued, with Kanda stating that the contractor had received Rs 66 lakh in payments.

Kanda asked the contractor to clarify whether he had ever demanded money from him — which the contractor denied. Former councillor Sushil Saini, who is leading a protest of area residents demanding that the road be completed, claimed that the work was delayed for over three months because a leader had stopped the project after a ceremonial coconut was broken without his involvement.

He said the road work had been started but was left incomplete, causing inconvenience to the public.

The 1.5-km Shivpuri road, worth Rs 2.22 crore, connects several key areas, and remains unfinished. Area residents have been protesting in this regard, demanding swift completion of the road before the monsoon causes further damage.