Pataudi villages protest inclusion in MC limits

Sumedha Sharma

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Gurugram, April 4

Even as Gurugram district gears up for municipal elections, protests continue to simmer in villages being brought under the civic limits. Besides 30 villages in the Manesar block that have announced to boycott the forthcoming Manesar municipal elections, residents of 10 villages from Pataudi tehsil have been showing resentment by observing a hunger strike.

Public opinion must

If villages claim they have been badly affected by inclusion in the civic limits, we must review the decision. I will speak to the Chief Minister to seek public opinion on the issue. Rao Inderjit Singh, Gurugram MP

For the last 10 days, they have been demanding the resumption of the panchayats and exclusion from the newly formed Nagar Parishad. Representatives from villages like Januala, Narhera, Rampura Heraheri, Khanpur, Milakpur, Mirzapur, Shawan and Nelawas have written to CM Manohar Lal Khattar in this regard. “Our villages have been ruined after being included in the civic limits. Our panchayat funds have been taken away and nothing has been done for our development. Roads are damaged, garbage is strewn across villages and we have to beg even for the basic amenities, which were easily available earlier. The authorities should conduct a survey and let people decide if they want to be included in the civic limits,” said Sanjeev Yadav, who is leading the strike in Januala village.

Gurugram MP Rao Inderjit Singh has also supported the demand for a mandate on the issue, citing example of Badli and Badsa villages in Jhajjar, where villages were excluded from civic bodies on people’s demand.

“These villages are self-reliant and if they claim they have been badly affected by the inclusion, we must review the decision. If it has been done for two villages, it should be done for others too. I will speak to the CM to seek public opinion and then decide,” said Singh.

Villagers have been opposing inclusion in the Manesar Municipal Corporation. They allege it has been two years since the body was formed but despite taking panchayat funds, which ran into crores, villages received nothing in terms of infrastructure.