Khattar’s native village cries for basic facilities

Baniyani, the native village of former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, has been crying for basic amenities like clean drinking water, disposal of waste water, a proper cremation ground, drainage system, streetlights and so on.

Villagers resent that as the Chief Minister, Khattar had announced the installation of an RO system in the village to ensure the provision of clean drinking water to the villagers, but on ground, nothing has been done.

“The village did not get even a single benefit of being the native place of the then Chief Minister who remained in power for more than nine years,” laments Sukhbir, a resident of Baniyani.

He says the village residents are forced to fetch water from far-off places or purchase it from private suppliers as the water supplied to them is so brackish that even buffaloes do not drink it.

Ankit, another resident of the village, points out that the private water suppliers charge Rs 10 to fill a pitcher, Rs 30 for a big camper, Rs 50 for a small drum and Rs 100 for a big one.

“The residents who are unable to fetch water from far-off places have no option but to buy water as the water usually supplied for drinking cannot even be used for bathing as it leads to skin problems,” rues a villager.

Sukhbir points out that the water being supplied for drinking can actually be consumed only when canal water is mixed with the underground water, and that happens only for three days after a cycle of 42 days.

A village resident, Ajay Thakur, said Khattar did not fulfill even a single promise made to them. “The provision of clean water, installation of RO system, disposal of waste water, maintenance of the cremation ground, construction of streets and drains had been promised, but none of the projects have materialised,” he states.

The village sarpanch, Omparkash Khundia, admits that the developmental works have been hanging fire due to the paucity of funds.

“The village gets brackish and undrinkable water as the RO system has been installed only on paper. Projects like the construction of boundary wall and a hall at the cremation ground, an additional water tank at the village waterworks, streets and drains in the village and disposal of waste water from the village cannot be executed due to unavailability of funds,” he says.

Khundia says that a project to install a disposal mechanism for waste water has not been able to take off despite the fact that a tender of Rs 43 lakh was allotted. He says the estimates for other projects are lying buried in government files.

The sarpanch said he tried to raise his voice against the irregularities and non-execution of developmental projects, but was not heard.

“I raised the issue of the boundary wall and hall for the village cremation ground before Khattar when he visited the village as Chief Minister earlier this year. However, he snubbed me, saying that I was with the Congress. I said I was the village sarpanch first, but could not say much as he was the Chief Minister and I was afraid of him,” says Khundia.

Raised issues with then CM: Sarpanch

I raised the issue of the boundary wall and hall of the village cremation ground before Khattar when he visited the village as Chief Minister earlier this year. However, he snubbed me, saying I was with the Congress. I said I was the village sarpanch first, but could not say much as he was the Chief Minister and I was afraid of him.  — Omparkash Khundia, sarpanch