Civic body chairperson, residents seek action against ‘extortionists’

Pilibhit: Hundreds of residents of Naugwan Pakariya town, accompanied by town area chairperson Sandeep Kaur, met district magistrate Gynendra Singh on Monday and demanded strict action against individuals allegedly obstructing development work in the area.In a memorandum submitted to the DM and signed by nine of the 14 members of the town area committee, Kaur alleged that some of the accused were associated with the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), Tikait group. She claimed that one of the organisation’s office-bearers, Yashpal Singh, had 19 criminal cases registered against him, while some others were former village pradhans.Kaur alleged that the individuals were extorting money from beneficiaries of the PM Awas Yojana. “They threaten beneficiaries with denial of the second instalment if their demands are not met. They also file repeated false complaints against officials to harass the town area administration and its staff,” she said.DM Singh assured the delegation that appropriate action would be taken after examining the matter.