Sangharsh Samiti for denotifying Badli MC on Adampur pattern

Ravinder Saini

Jhajjar, September 27

A day after the state government notified Adampur as gram panchayat, the ongoing row over the formation of the Badli Municipal Committee on Monday took a new turn, with the Sangharsh Samiti accusing the government of adopting a “discriminatory” attitude towards it on the issue.

Discriminatory attitude

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When the Adampur MC can be denotified and given the status of gram panchayat again, why is voting needed for the Badli MC? It is a discriminatory attitude. We are resisting the voting process and also contemplating boycotting the voting process. Sukhbir Singh, vp, badli sangharsh samiti

It also opposed public referendum through voting over the issue and demanded the government to bring all three villages — Badli, Pahsor and MP Majra — back under the purview of the Panchayati Raj Institutions by denotifying the Badli Municipal Committee on the pattern of Adampur. It also announced to continue their indefinite dharna in Badli town till their demand was met.

The Badli Municipal Committee was formed last year by including these three villages in it but a section of residents of the villages recently started resisting it after the Municipal Committee served them notices for the assessment of their property tax. To settle the ongoing row, the government has decided to conduct voting through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) on October 1 and invited electors of all three villages to participate in it.

“When the Adampur municipal committee can be denotified and given the status of the gram panchayat again, why is voting needed for the Badli Municipal Committee? It is a discriminatory attitude, hence we are resisting the voting process and also contemplating boycotting the voting process. A majority of the villagers are against the Municipal Committee and again want the status of gram panchayat,” said Sukhbir Singh, vice-president of the samiti.

He said a delegation of the samiti also called on Member of Parliament (MP) Arvind Sharma and urged him to intervene into the matter by raising their demand before the Chief Minister.

“The MP has assured us of talking to the CM over the issue. We will convene a meeting of the samiti on either Thursday or Friday to take a final call regarding participating in the voting,” claimed Singh.

MP Arvind Sharma could not be contacted for his comments despite repeated attempts.

Meanwhile, Badli SDM Vishal Kumar today reached the dharna spot and requested the protesters to participate in the voting on October 1 to resolve the issue.

Sources said some protesters demanded him for an open discussion at a public platform over the issue, but the SDM said nothing could be better and fair than the voting through EVMs to get the opinion of the villagers in this respect, hence everyone should exercise their franchise to clear the situation.