Panchayat land auction cancelled in 20 villages

Chandigarh, May 7

Amid strong opposition from Dalits, the auction of reserved panchayat land has been cancelled in around 20 villages in the Malwa region in the past few days.

The main bone of contention between the government and Dalit organisations is the clause that entitles Dalits to get land for a three-year lease. The organisations said if Dalits formed a group of cooperative society then they were entitled to get the land for three years. However, local officials were denying it to them, they alleged.

The 20 villages where auctions have been cancelled are mainly in Sangrur and Patiala districts, including Balad Kalan, Gharachon, Jhaloor, Mangwal, Badrukhan, Fatehgarh Chhanna, Surajpur, Banera, Sherpur, etc.

Mukesh Malaud, president of Zamin Prapti Sangharsh Committee, said if Dalits got land even for three years only, then it was viable for them to purchase expensive farm machinery and tools.

Earlier, media reports had highlighted that how the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat had dropped important instructions of auction on March 10 this year. The conditions were incorporated in 2018 following a long struggle of Dalits and violent clashes with the upper caste in Malwa.

Following that, the department had asked the District Development Project Officers to carry out the auctions as per the old instructions, wherever it was required.

However, the Dalit organisations have alleged that local officials of the department failed to protect the rights of Dalits while leasing out the panchayat land despite the fact that the government had agreed to restore the old instructions.

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Kuldeep Dhaliwal was not available for comment.

‘Contentious’ clause

The main bone of contention between the government and Dalit organisations is the clause that entitles Dalits to get land for a three-year lease.