NEW DELHI: Farmers from 360 villages in Delhi are set to hold a Mahapanchayat on Sunday at Mangolpuri in North West Delhi, with an agenda to boycott the upcoming assembly polls.
The decision comes in protest against the Delhi government’s alleged failure to address their long-pending demands, according to Palam 360, the organisation spearheading the initiative.
The organisation highlighted that for the past 18 months, farmers and residents of Delhi’s rural belt have been raising several issues, including land reforms, house tax concerns, and compensation for government-acquired land. These issues, the group claims, have remained unaddressed for years.
Chaudhary Surender Solanki, head of Palam 360, accused the government of neglecting the rural population.
“Land belonging to Gram Sabha across Delhi’s villages was taken in the name of urbanisation, but today these areas resemble slums. The land was not utilised for its intended purpose and was instead handed over for various other projects, leaving villagers deprived of basic amenities,” he alleged.
The organisation also pointed out that alternative plots promised to villagers in lieu of the acquired land since the early 2000s have not been allotted, exacerbating their grievances.