Fatehabad Sarpanch reinstated after suspension over cattle shed dispute

In Fatehabad district, Bhattu village sarpanch Prahlad Singh, who was suspended in October, has been reinstated. His suspension order, issued by the Deputy Commissioner (DC), was overturned by the Hisar Divisional Commissioner’s court. The DC had suspended him on October 26 following allegations that he constructed a community cattle shed on private land instead of public property.

The suspension stemmed from a complaint by district council member representative Satish Jangra. Jangra alleged that the cattle shed was built on private land belonging to a woman named Badho Devi instead of on a public site. An inquiry conducted by the Bhattu Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) confirmed the claim, stating that the land was not owned by the panchayat. The inquiry also reported a financial loss of over Rs 12 lakh to the government due to the irregularity.

In his appeal to the Hisar Divisional Commissioner, Prahlad Singh, argued that the construction was carried out with proper approvals. He stated that the Gram Panchayat had passed a resolution in the Gram Sabha to construct the cattle shed and the work was undertaken as per MGNREGA guidelines with administrative sanction from the technical department. During the hearing on December 11, the sarpanch presented the MGNREGA guidelines, particularly Point 4, which supported his case. The Commissioner’s court found that the DC’s suspension order had failed to consider this crucial guideline, leading to the dismissal of the order.

The court ruled in favour of Prahlad Singh, accepting his appeal and overturning the suspension. It noted that the DC had not thoroughly evaluated the evidence presented regarding the MGNREGA guidelines. While the sarpanch has been reinstated, the court has allowed the DC to review the matter again if needed.

Prahlad Singh confirmed his reinstatement and stated that he planned to meet the DC to formally apply for resuming his responsibilities. He expects to retake charge within the next two days, marking the conclusion of the dispute for now.