Haryana sarpanches threaten strike if govt fails to fulfil their demands
Deepender Deswal
Hisar, June 14
Threatening to open a front against the BJP in the Assembly elections, the Haryana Sarpanches Association today served an ultimatum till July 7 to the state government to fulfil their pending demands of withdrawal of the provision of e-tendering in carrying out development works, scrapping the Right To Recall and to restore all the rights to the panchayats which were enshrined in the Constitution.
The meeting of the Association attended by the district and block-level office-bearers was held in Jind today. Ranbir Singh Samain, president of the association, said they had also launched the agitation under the banner of ‘Gaon Bachao Dehat Bachao’ against the state government when it curtailed the powers of the panchayats before the Lok Sabha polls.
“We have decided to take up our demands with the state government yet again. The association will hold another meeting on July 7 to review the progress of talks with the government. In case the government continues to ignore the elected gram panchayats, we will hold a public meeting on July 7 to take the issue before the people,” he said.
Samain said the sapranch association could take tough decision against the BJP ahead of the impending Assembly elections scheduled later this year. “The sarpanches have to suffer a lot due to the highhandedness and dictatorial attitude of the BJP government for the past many months,” he said, adding that they would also talk to the Congress leadership and urge them to include the demands of the sarpanch association in their manifesto.
Training guns at the former Development and Panchayat Minister Devender Babli, who is the JJP MLA from Tohana in Fatehabad district, Samain said Babli had hurt the sentiments of the sarpanches by making uncalled for statements.
Meeting on July 7
We have decided to take up our demands with the state govt yet again. The association will hold another meeting on July 7 to review the progress of talks. Ranbir Singh Samain, president, haryana sarpanches association
