Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, July 21: Accusing the Government of giving vague and nauseating slogans of good governance, transparency and accountability, Harsh Dev Singh, former Minister and senior AAP leader questioned the non-payment of compensation to the farmers whose lands and structures were acquired for construction of PMGSY roads since 2012 onwards.
He said that not only the marginal land holdings of farmers were expropriated for construction of rural roads without paying them any compensation but several structures and residential houses on the alignment of the these roads were also dismantled without compensating the affected persons. He said that the poor farmers were made to shuttle from one office to the other without any relief thereby causing massive uproar in the affected areas.
Seeking a probe into the mis-appropriation of funds, Singh divulged that the PMGSY Department had deposited compensation for houses and structures in 2012 for majority of the roads as per the reply provided in RTI applications, with the collectors and SDMs. It was however shocking to note that these payments had not been disbursed further to the affected land/house owners thereby suggesting embezzlement and diversion of the funds meant for rural poor. He said that the bonafide payments having been denied to the eligible persons, the delinquent officers needed to be made accountable and dealt with under law.
Pointing towards another irregularity of grave nature in Power Department, Singh said that while the powerful and influential people were being ensured interrupted power supply despite pendency of huge power bills, the poor and indigent marginalized masses were being harassed with inflated billing and resultant power disconnections.
Regretting the non-payment of claims of Panchayats under MGNREGA pending for the last 5-6 years, Singh said that Government apathy towards the rural local bodies had created massive resentment in the villages.
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