Bhiwandi Villagers Lock Gram Panchayat Office Amid Protest Over Lack Of Records Access
· Free Press Journal
Bhiwandi: Tension prevailed in Bapgaon Devrung village in Bhiwandi taluka after angry residents allegedly locked the Gram Panchayat office during a Gram Sabha meeting, accusing officials of refusing to provide information and access to official records related to development works carried out over the past five years.
The protest erupted during a Gram Sabha organised by the Bapgaon Devrung Group Gram Panchayat, where villagers sought details regarding various civic and development projects undertaken in the village. According to residents, Gram Panchayat officials failed to provide satisfactory answers to several questions raised during the meeting and allegedly denied access to important documents and records.
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Villagers claimed that the Gram Sabha, which is constitutionally recognised as the highest democratic platform in the village governance system, was not conducted in a transparent and accountable manner. Protesters stated that the meeting should not be treated as a mere formality, but as an important democratic process meant to ensure public participation and transparency in local self-governance.
Devaraj Kene, president of Shivswarajya Sangharsh Sanstha, alleged that the principles of transparency and accountability were ignored during the proceedings. He claimed that despite repeated demands by villagers, officials failed to disclose details of expenditure and development works executed in the village over the last five years.
“The Gram Sabha is the foundation of village democracy. Villagers have every right to seek information regarding development projects and public funds. Instead of answering questions, officials refused to allow residents to inspect Gram Panchayat records,” Kene alleged.
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Mayur Dalvi, secretary of the organisation, further alleged that corruption had taken place in the functioning of the Gram Panchayat and claimed that attempts were being made to conceal irregularities by withholding official documents from the public.
As the situation escalated, agitated villagers allegedly disrupted the Gram Sabha proceedings and staged a protest outside the Gram Panchayat office under the leadership of Kene and Dalvi. The protesters later locked the office premises, demanding transparency and immediate access to records.
The incident created a tense atmosphere in the village for some time. However, no untoward incident was reported during the protest.
Efforts were made to contact Gram Sevak Navjot Mukadam for his response regarding the allegations levelled by the villagers, but he could not be reached for comment till the time of publication.
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