Haryana Cabinet Minister Krishan Bedi on Sunday ordered a fresh investigation into a kidnapping case and resolved eight complaints on the spot while hearing public grievances in Fatehabad. At the district grievance committee meeting chaired by Bedi, 13 complaints were taken up. Eight cases were settled, while five were kept pending for further inquiry.
The meeting also drew political attention, with former Fatehabad MLA Dura Ram and former Ratia MLA Lakshman Napa seated alongside the minister. Congress MLA Balwan Singh Daulatpuria, Ratia MLA Jarnail Singh, Haryana Kisan Kalyan Committee chairman Rajpal Beniwal and BJP district president Praveen Jaura were also present. Gurpreet Kaur of Fatehabad alleged irregularities in a police investigation in which kidnapping charges had been filed against her husband. Unconvinced by the police explanation, Bedi ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a fresh probe.
The minister also took a serious view of a complaint regarding an allegedly illegal school in Ban Mandori village. After officials reported that the school was found closed during inspection and the complainant failed to attend the hearing, Bedi directed authorities to initiate action against the complainant.
During the hearing of a complaint from Pilimandori village alleging that polluted water was being discharged into a canal, officials informed the minister that the water’s total dissolved solids (TDS) level was 240, within permissible drinking standards. Bedi questioned the use of the word “toxic” in the complaint and advised residents to exercise caution while making such allegations.
A complaint regarding irregularities in a canal pipeline project in Badopal village also led to sharp exchanges. When the complainant declined the minister’s suggestion to bring more villagers to verify the issue, Bedi briefly ordered work on the project to be halted before and later directing officials to complete it after intervention by local representatives. Villagers demanded that the Chandpura Tibba feeder be connected to the Meond Kalan 33 KV power station. Referring to an ongoing protest at the power station, the minister said a solution could not be reached while the agitation continued. He later directed officials to form a committee under the SDM, Tohana, to resolve the issue. Among the cases resolved were complaints related to drinking water supply, a cross-case dispute, an illegal road entry point and a canal-related issue.
