With several sarpanches in Haryana protesting against the government’s e-tendering policy, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said the village heads can now approve development work up to Rs 5 lakh, up from the existing limit of Rs 2 lakh.
He also announced an increase in the honorarium of sarpanches and panches from the present Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 and from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,600 starting 1 April. In the last few weeks, sarpanches have intensified their protest over the e-tendering issue. Multiple rounds of talks between the protesting village heads and the government had failed to yield results as the sarpanches stuck to their key demands. Khattar claimed most sarpanches agreed with the new system; some had concerns, after which it was decided to raise the approval limit to Rs 5 lakh.
He reiterated that e-tendering was to bring transparency to development work in rural areas, and he spelled out several initiatives that his government has already taken to further empower the Panchayati Raj Institutions.
After the panchayat polls held last year, the government transferred Rs 1,100 crore into the accounts of PRIs for development work. The CM said he hopes that those panchayats that still haven’t utilized the money will do so in the coming days before the current fiscal year comes to a close. He also said all 22 Zila parishes will have their own offices now.