NEW DELHI: The national capital villagers are set to launch an indefinite sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar starting October 6 against the lack of basic facilities in the villages, where residents face deteriorating living conditions, Chaudhary Surender Solanki, head of Palam 360 which represents Delhi’s rural communities, announced on Friday.
Solanki said that the city’s villages are suffering from severe civic issues, including waterlogged streets, broken roads, inadequate sewage systems, and poor garbage disposal. Overflowing drains and unsanitary conditions have made life increasingly difficult for the rural population.
Addressing a press conference here, he underscored that despite numerous long-standing concerns, the problems of the villages remain unresolved, leaving residents with no choice but to live in compromised conditions.
“The movement to address the problems of Delhi’s rural belt will continue until all our issues are fully resolved,” Solanki stated.
He described the villages as areas that have become “neither urban nor rural,” comparing them to slums due to the lack of proper development and infrastructure. While the villagers had earlier expressed gratitude to Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena for accepting two of their demands - reopening the mutation process and lifting restrictions on electricity meter installations - Solanki said the remaining issues are critical and require immediate attention.
The list of unresolved demands includes ownership rights for poor farmers under Section 74/4, alternative plots for those whose lands have been acquired, and ownership rights for ancestral properties under the Swamitva Scheme without stamp duty. Villagers are also calling for the development of their areas into “smart villages” as part of the 2041 Master Plan and amendments to the land pooling policy.
Additionally, they seek the repeal of Sections 81 and 33, the withdrawal of legal cases under Section 81, and a halt to sealing and demolition drives by the MCD.
Solanki clarified that the protest is not aimed at any political party but is focused on holding accountable those who neglect the problems of Delhi’s rural areas. The indefinite protest follows a Mahapanchayat held on September 15, where villagers vowed to act if their remaining issues were not resolved.