Rohtak villagers seek govt's nod to hold fast

Residents of Kharawar, Baliyana, Nonand and Kheri Sadh villages in Rohtak district, who have been awaiting the allotment of residential plots in sectors developed by the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) for 12 years, have sought permission of the state authorities to observe fast on Gandhi Jayanti.

Farmer leader-cum-social activist Puran Singh Baliyana, who has been spearheading the villagers' movement against the non-allotment of plots, said they would decide their future course of action after observing the fast on Gandhi Jayanti.

"We may decide to continue the fast indefinitely or adopt any other means to register our protest, but our agitation will be on until the allotment of plots is done," he maintained.

While acquiring the land of the residents of the said villages for the development of the residential sectors of the HSIIDC, the state government had promised the villagers that they would be allotted residential plots in those sectors.

However, nearly 750 residents of these villages, who had applied for allotment of residential plots in the HSIIDS sectors, have been waiting for the draw of lots for allocation of plots for 12 years.

The villagers have written dozens of letters to the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, HSIIDC Managing Director and also met the top state authorities personally, but they are yet to be allotted the plots as promised.

The villagers applied for the allotment of residential plots in Phase III of the HSIIDC project at Rohtak in 2013. After more than a decade, they were told to deposit 10 per cent amount, which we did in 2024. Still, the draw of plots is yet to be conducted.

Villagers point out that the local administration as well as the state authorities concerned were aware of the matter and had been assuring them that the draw of lots for the allotment of plots would be conducted soon, but it has been hanging fire for a long time.

The villagers have demanded that the draw of lots should be conducted at the earliest as per the notification of the said project and in accordance with the provisions of the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) policy of the Haryana Government issued in 2010.