Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 12

Residents of Bouran Kalan village, who are on chain fast against the district administration for the past many days, gheraoed Deputy Commissioner’s office here today. They decided to up the ante against the administration over non-allotment of one third of the common panchayat land reserved for the Schedule Caste (SC) category.

The protesters, under the banner of Zameen Prapt Sangharsh Committee, barged into the main gate of the DC office in the presence of the police. Thereafter, protesters blocked the main gate by staging a sit-in at the entrance itself. In the incident, the police tried to shove protesters out of the gate, but were not successful.

It has been learnt that Cabinet Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, happened to be at the DC office to attend some meeting at the time of the protest. He had to leave the office from another gate owing to the protest at the main gate.

Ironically, the minister did not deem it necessary to meet protesting villagers despite later being from his constituency.

Mukesh Maluad, zonal president, Zameen Prapt Sangharsh Committee, alleged that SC residents were being deprived of their right over one third of the common panchayat land by the panchayat in connivance with some influential people of the village. Despite protesting for past many days, the administration didn’t even try to solve the issue, he added. Attacking Cabinet Minister, he said they would be holding ‘Poll khol’ rallies in villages to expose Sadhu Singh.