Sarpanch, panches suspended in Moga

Tribune News Service
Moga, September 11

The Rural Development and Panchayat Department has suspended a woman sarpanch, Ranjeet Kaur, and five panches of Saleena village in Moga district for unilaterally withdrawing a land grab case from the Collector’s court. The case was filed by the previously elected panchayat on the direction of Punjab and Haryana High Court.

After suspending them, the department has also given approval to the newly elected Sarpanch, Manjit Kaur, who has managed to rope in the support of all other elected panches.

Meanwhile, the panchayat officer has filed an application in the Collector’s court to resume the case. The court has accepted the plea of the panchayat officer and rejected the withdrawal application. The next date of hearing has been fixed for September 19.

Earlier in January, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, the then Rural Development and Panchayat Minister, had directed the District Development and Panchayat Officer to get a case filed under Section 11 of the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961, to reclaim 108 acres of pasture land in the name of the gram panchayat. A major portion of this land had been “sold” to influential persons.