BJP buckles under public pressure, will not set up grand office in Ggn

GURUGRAM: The district head of BJP Bhupendra Chauhan on Tuesday wrote to the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) asking for an alternate plot where it can set up its party office instead of the present location at Silokhera village situated along the Delhi-jaipur Highway.

The decision comes at a time when there is deep resentment among residents of the village not only over the construction of the office but over how prime land is deliberately being used by govern- ment agencies for commercial purposes.

Ever since the BJP office was conceptualised, the project has run into several controversies.

It was alleged that 12 acre of panchayat land was acquired below market price by the government agencies for the office.

After much negotiations, it was decided that the office will be set up in an area of one acre and the remaining area will be used for creating facilities for the residents. The services that were to be provided include a new community center, educational institution, and a village pond.

Even as the foundation stone was laid by Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma in April, it was not a smooth sailing and things began to fall apart.

There were multiple protests at the Deputy Commissioner’s office by the villagers, who complained of being cheated and duped.

“From day one our interests were not respected by the government agencies. We had never opposed the office construction, but the services that were promised to us were denied,” said Yashpal Sharma, a resident of Silokhera.