Sunday's mahapanchayat at Kishan Garh village brought together village elders, local councillors and officials from the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to discuss the demolition drive that the village faces. Hundreds of residents came together to talk about restrictions which they claim are unfairly imposed on the city's villages.
A resolution was passed to oppose the “illegal” demolition planned by authorities of the civic body. “The municipal councillors who were part of the meeting were complaining about who it was that planned the demolitions since they form part of the decision-making process but have not been consulted,” said Delhi Gramin Samaj secretary Col. Devinder Sehrawat. “The villagers have decided to fight the authorities and not let their houses be demolished.”
The mahapanchayat was organised to oppose a demolition drive that was ordered based on a specific official in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, said Delhi BJP executive-member Narender Khatri and husband of Kishan Garh's ward councillor Kusum Khatri. “The local police have said they will not support this illegal demolition, and that they were not part of the meeting to discuss the demolition,” he said.
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Regarding the confusion over which zone Kishan Garh village falls into, Mr. Khatri said the transfer of the village from South Delhi's South zone to the Najafgarh zone has been successful but files for all the departments are yet to be transferred.
Krishan Sherawat, a resident of Mahipalpur, said no civic amenities are provided. “The officials enter our villages to keep a check on illegal constructions. Otherwise, we do not see them at all…Water is very scarce in our area but complaints are not considered,” he said.