Villagers of Chanot village in Haryana’s Hansi, demanding a T-connection from the under-construction Bhakra drinking water pipeline, received a major boost as several khap panchayats extended their support on Saturday.
Twenty representatives of various khap panchayats reached the dharna site and urged the state government to resolve the issue without delay.
The khap representatives held a meeting at the PWD Rest House in Hansi.
Terming the villagers’ agitation justified, they said it was no longer confined to Chanot village alone as people from several khap panchayats and other areas are also standing firm with the protesters.
Roghi Khap Pradhan Sumer Singh said khap panchayats from the region have extended their support to the agitation.
“The state government’s role had remained under suspicion from the beginning, claiming that the connection was initially installed but later removed by the police forcibly,” he said, raising suspicion on the role of one Somesh, who claimed to be a representative of the state government and got the T-joint fitted on the pipeline a week ago.
Though the district administration later not only removed the T-joint but also used force on the villagers and even registered criminal cases against protesters who had been peacefully holding the dharna for 45 days.
Sumer Singh also questioned the intention of the district authorities, asking where the proposed separate pipeline. Singh said the Chief Minister should personally visit Chanot village to see whether the villagers are justified in their demand for water or not.
The khap leaders said if the issue was not resolved soon, khap panchayats from across Haryana and other states would also be invited to join the agitation.
Residents of Chanot village had started their protest on May 16, demanding water supply from the Bhakra pipeline, which has been laid to fetch water for Hansi town.
