i-pad to be given to all sarpanches in Hry: Dhankar

Haryana Agriculture Minister O P Dhankar today announced to provide i-Pad to all sanpanches in the state, in a move to connect the educated panchayats with the concept of e-panchayat.

Besides, panchayats will engage any youth of village as computer operator, Dhankar said, while addressing a meeting of sarpanches at the Panchayat Bhawan here today.

He assured them that all their demands would be considered sympathetically.

For this, a committee comprising one representative from each district will be constituted, which will give suggestions to the chief minister, an official release said here.

The minister said that e-panchayat would be applicable on the ongoing works up to March 31, 2018. It would be applicable on new works in future and required infrastructure for the same had announced today.

He said that the sarpanch can withdraw cash-in-hand of Rs 25,000 anytime from the bank.

A sarpanch will be authorised to pay daily wages for development work.

Yesterday, the state government had invited all the sarpanches, who are protesting against e-panchayat, for a dialogue, here.

Many sarpanches and gram sachivs during the past few days have organised a demonstration against the e-panchayat system at many places in Haryana.

The demands of the protesters included withdrawal of the e-panchayat system with immediate effect, execution of the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, remuneration for gram sachivs on a par with patwaris and pension for gram sarpanches.

The state government has been maintaining that the implementation of the e-panchayat project in Haryana would not only increase transparency, but would also help check corruption and make people repose greater faith in the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the state.