Former minister corners government on issues of farmers, electricity-water, and corruption, raising the political temperature in Sanchore.
Former minister Sukhram Bishnoi has made the neglect of farmers his biggest issue. He alleged that the government is withholding the rights of the farmers.
Bishnoi stated that the agricultural input subsidy for the year 2022 has not yet been received by the farmers.
He said that a proposal of about 8 crore for the Chitalwana sub-division and 12 crore for five panchayats of Sanchore has been sent, but the amount is stuck.
The second major crisis for farmers is the halt in crop insurance claims. Bishnoi has demanded that the pending subsidy for 2025 and the full insurance claim be immediately deposited into the farmers' accounts.
The former minister has also alleged serious irregularities in the Narmada canal project, considered the lifeline of Sanchore.
He said that a 21-day closure was taken for cleaning the canal, but no work was done on the ground.
Bishnoi challenged that the documents of the contractors should be made public so that the truth can come out.
Due to the weak construction of the canal, thousands of bighas of farmers' land are being damaged by seepage.
He demanded an immediate survey and repair of the canals with the 2 crore rupees allocated by the government. He also called for the strict implementation of the 60% flow and 40% lift formula for irrigation.
The basic infrastructure of the region has completely collapsed. Bishnoi took the officials to task over the electricity and water systems.
In the scorching heat, villages are getting only 2-3 hours of electricity. After a recent storm, many villages remained in darkness for 5 days.
He alleged that XEN level officers are absent from the field and there is no monitoring.
Bishnoi alleged massive corruption in the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). He said that there has been no supervision in the last three years.
The tanks are made of poor-quality material, and the pipeline has been laid at a depth of only one and a half to two feet instead of 3 feet, causing them to break.
Bishnoi has strongly opposed the notices given by the administration to people in Narmada Colony, Kheteshwar Colony, and Harijan Colony to vacate their houses.
He questioned the justice of evicting people after 21 years when they have valid deeds issued by the administration.
He warned that if the deeds were faulty, the then-officials and chairman should be jailed, not the common people.
We are constantly struggling, our government will come, and we will restore Sanchore as a district with full force.
On the political front, he accused the government of postponing the Panchayati Raj elections. He said that the BJP is scared of defeat, which is why it is making excuses of the 2027 census and OBC reservation.
During the conversation, he termed the election promises of the current Sanchore MLA as 'castles in the air'. He said that a public representative should speak the truth on the ground.
Meanwhile, when asked about BJP leader Devji Patel, he praised him. He said, "Devji does not lie, he speaks bluntly."
Sukhram Bishnoi's return to the streets after two and a half years indicates that he will not remain silent until the 2028 elections. By raising grassroots issues, he has posed a major challenge to the government and local administration.
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