Haryana Case Study

Case Study of Bhilpura Panchayat
(Ambala, Haryana)

I am Jaino Devi (54 years old) and I am a Sarpanch of Bhilpura Panchayat. I belong to the Chamar community. Bhilapura and Kapuri villages come under this panchayat. This is a reserved panchayat. The total population of Bhilpura village is 400, in which only 4 houses belong to upper caste people. The Kapoori village has 200 houses with upper caste-Gujjars only. There are no schedule tribe people in this panchayat. I contested the election from the reserved seats and I won.

This panchayat has seven panchayat members, including one Dalit Women and two general women. The Panchayat meetings are going on in my house because we don’t have a Panchayat Bhawan in the village. The Gram Sabha meetings are held in the school once every three months.

For the development work I have passed a resolution in the panchayat meeting, so it has to go to the Block Development Officer and to the Additional District Commissioner for the further process. I have completed the following work in my panchayat:
 Indira Awas Yojna (IAY)
 Streets and drains in SC colony

I also have received Rs. 9, 80,000/- for the development work in my panchayat. I demanded Rs. 10 Lakhs for doing development work for schedule caste people, but I did not receive any funds and grants from the M.L.A.

Dalits are living separately in Harijan Basti, within the village. Only two Dalits possesses the land. Neither untouchability practice nor violence against Dalit exists in this village. However, during the quarrel between us and Jamindars, the police came and supported them. The Jamindars also filed a case against us. Now the case is in the court. The Gurjjars also tried to cancel my reserved seat, but I did not left the sarpanch seat and I keep on doing my work myself.