Logjam over e-tendering of panchayat works: Don’t meddle in administrative affairs, Babli tells BJP-JJP leaders - Hindustan Times
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Logjam over e-tendering of panchayat works: Don’t meddle in administrative affairs, Babli tells BJP-JJP leaders

By, Chandigarh
Feb 28, 2023 01:03 AM IST

As the talks between sarpanches and Haryana government failed to resolve the logjam over allocating panchayat works through e-tendering, development and panchayats minister Devender Singh Babli hit out at the BJP-JJP leadership

Even as the talks between sarpanches and the Haryana government failed on Monday to resolve the logjam over allocating panchayat works through e-tendering, development and panchayats minister Devender Singh Babli hit out at the BJP-JJP leadership, advising the top party brass to desist from meddling in administrative matters of the government.

Development and panchayats minister Devender Singh Babli hit out at the BJP-JJP leadership, advising the top party brass to desist from meddling in administrative matters of the government. (HT File Photo)
Development and panchayats minister Devender Singh Babli hit out at the BJP-JJP leadership, advising the top party brass to desist from meddling in administrative matters of the government. (HT File Photo)

The sarpanches association has engaged the Manohar Lal Khattar government in a protracted political tussle while opposing e-tendering in allocating panchayat work above 2 lakh.

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While Khattar has refused to accept the demand of the sarpanches reiterating that at the core of introducing e-tendering to allocate panchayat works is the government’s zero-tolerance policy against corruption, the BJP-JJP legislators have been nudging the government to concede and avoid the political backlash.

Not only in the winter session but also in the first part of the ongoing budget session, the BJP-JJP MLAs asked the government to accept the demand of the sarpanches.

In this backdrop, Babli, who is a JJP MLA from the Tohana assembly segment, held a lengthy meeting here with the representatives of the sarpanches association which has given a call to gherao Khattar’s official residence in Chandigarh on March 1 if their demands are not accepted.

“The minister assured us that he will take up the matter with the chief minister as he cannot on his own take any decision...we shall gherao the official residence of the CM on March 1,” said Ranvir Singh Gill, president of the Haryana sarpanches association, saying the talks remained inconclusive.

On the other hand, Babli said e-tendering will bring transparency and accountability in executing developmental works in panchayats and urged the agitating sarpanches to implement it.

“In case panchayats face any technical problem while implementing e-tendering, the government will resolve such issues...I shall brief the chief minister about what transpired in the meeting today and any decision regarding their demands will be taken by the cabinet,” he said, refuting reports about making a highly provocative remark against the sarpanches for opposing e-tendering.

Hits back at BJP-JJP leaders

“I have not made any unsavoury remark...that tantamount to questioning the integrity of the sarpanches...produce that purported video clip...people present in that meeting had uttered those words which are now being attributed to me,” said Babli.

When asked about state BJP president OP Dhankar and senior JJP leader Ajay Chautala taking exception to his reported remarks against the sarpanches, the minister said: “Those in the party should run the organisation...they should take care of the party organisation...we are elected representatives and we have to run the government.”

His remarks came in for a lot of flak immediately from the JJP with the party general secretary Digvijay Chautala advising the minister to exercise caution while speaking.

“The governments are formed because of the party organisation and there cannot be a government without a party...Ajay Singh Chautala is a seasoned leader of the JJP and Haryana with a huge political experience. And what he had said was a ‘mann ki baat of janta,” said Digvijay, pointing out that the government should amicably resolve the issue.

“The intention of the government is not malafide, but the government should accept the demands of the sarpanches,” Digvijay said, bringing to the fore the fault lines between the state government and the party over the e-tendering logjam.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Pawan Sharma, based in Chandigarh, is Assistant Editor in HT and presently writes on Haryana's politics and governance. During different stints over the past two decades, he covered Punjab extensively for 10 years and before that judiciary and Himachal Pradesh with focus on high-impact news breaking and investigative journalism.

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