Rural development officers demand action against Mansa Cong chief

Mansa: The rural development department officers and employees have given a one-day ultimatum to the police to register a case against Mansa district Congress committee president Manoj Bala. They said they would intensify their protest in case their request is not paid heed to.

The officers and employees on Thursday held protests in various districts, including the Mansa zila parishad office.

Mansa additional deputy commissioner of development (ADC) Gurmeet Singh also sat among the protesters.

On the other hand, the Congress activists are demanding the transfer of ADC Singh.

The row started after the rural development department officials invited former Mansa MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia to distribute aid to beneficiaries of a scheme on July 26. They did not pay heed to Bala’s request to defer the event. The Congress district chief’s supporters then went to the ADC’s office and detained him for two hours. The officer alleged that they also used filthy language against him.

Bala, however, had claimed that the ADC was discriminating against many beneficiaries.

“We have demanded that a case against the district Congress president for obstructing a government servant in performing his duty, keeping hostage the ADC and laying siege to the zila parishad office. We will continue the strike till our demand is met,” said Sukhchain Singh, block development and panchayat officers (BDPO) association president.