CHANDIGARH: An "auction" for the position of Sarpanch in a Gurdaspur village saw a local politician bidding a staggering Rs 2 crore, sparking condemnation from several political leaders. The controversial bidding, seen as a violation of democratic norms, took place in Hardowal Kalan village ahead of the upcoming Punjab gram panchayat elections.
The auction, which started with bids as low as Rs 50 lakh, eventually reached Rs 2 crore, a sum offered by local BJP leader Atma Singh. Singh, who made his bid through a cheque, claimed that villagers had decided to select a Sarpanch who could provide the maximum funds for the development of the village.
"The auction money will be spent on the development of the village," Singh said. He also added that the allocation of funds would be overseen by a committee composed of villagers. Notably, Singh's father had previously served as Sarpanch of the same village.
Hardowal Kalan, one of the largest villages in Gurdaspur district, boasting around 350 acres of Panchayat land, is not the only place where such an auction took place. In another instance, in Bathinda's Gehri Buttar village, a similar bidding process occurred, with one aspirant offering Rs 60 lakh for the Sarpanch post. However, no final decision has been made in that case.
Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa was quick to condemn the auction, labelling it as "open corruption." He demanded action against those involved.
"This is wrong. I want to ask the vigilance bureau to take action against whoever offered Rs 2 crore," said Bajwa, the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly. "There is no precedent for such a bidding process."
The gram panchayat elections in Punjab are scheduled for 15 October, with voting to be conducted through ballot boxes. Polling will take place for 13,237 Sarpanches and 83,437 Panches. The last date for filing nomination papers is 4 October, with scrutiny of nominations on 5 October, and the final date for withdrawal of nominations on 7 October. Counting of votes will take place on the same day as polling.