AMRITSAR: The ongoing panchayat samiti and zila Parishad elections continue to be haunted by allegations of bungling being committed by the Punjab Minister of State for Panchayats and Revenue, Master Jagir Singh, by misusing his power and official machinery.

In the latest development the veteran CPI leader, Satyapal Dang, and the only Akali Dal (Badal) MLA, Dr. Rattan Singh, joined hands Sept.19, with the two Congress I MLAs in accusing the minister of malpractices.

Dang, in a lengthy statement, said that contrary to the claims of the Chief Minister, Beant Singh, elections were neither fully free nor fair as worst irregularities have ‘been committed by a section of the Officials at the instance of Master Jagir Singh to ensure that some of his relatives and members of his faction in the ruling party win elections and occupy key position.

He expressed his surprise that the Punjab Election Commission was silent on such allegations. Giving instances of bungling by the minister, Dang said that the Jhabbal zone consisting of seven villages for the block samiti was reserved for scheduled castes but was made known that it had been made a “general zone” and the returning officer accepted nomination papers from nonscheduled castes candidates with the security of Rs 200. In another incident, he said, nomination papers of sarpanches were received by the returning officers of Gandiwind and Tam Taran blocks at a farm house of relatives of Master Jagir Singh instead of at the scheduled offices with the object of ensuring the nomination papers of certain candidates were not received in time. Dang further alleged that the government intention was clear that it was determined to capture a maximum number of blocks am it is and zila Parishad’s by means both “fair and foul” when the new panchayati raj bill was adopted by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha rejecting all amendments by the CPI group, The intention became all the more clear when it gave 60% representation in block samitis to existing sarpanches and only 40% to the directly elected candidates.

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 23, 1994