Dalit Mahan Panchayat to stage dharna before Vidhan Sabha on November 1

Chandigarh, October 29, 2013: The Dalit Mahan Panchayat, formed by combining all Scheduled Castes categories, will be holding a demonstration and dharna in front of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on November 1 to strengthen them economically.

The Mahan Panchayat is demanding from the Punjab Government Rs 100 crore to be allotted to the Scheduled Castes Finance Corporation which could be used as loan for self-employment; SC community should get a share of one third of the village shamlat land and for that the village common land Act be amended to make it foolproof; houseless families should be given five marla plots.

Other demands are implementation of the post-Matric scholarship Centre-sponsored scheme and for this Rs 427 crore allotted for the scheme be released; the reservations for SCs should be increased commensurate with the increase in the SC population; this should be justified as the number of reserved Assembly and Parliament seats have been increased.

The SCs should get reservation in auction of liquor vends, in e-tendering, transport allotment, plots at focal points and in other departments. The 85th amendment should be implemented. The reservation backlog of 25,000 jobs should be filled. In the private sector and ad hoc appointments also there should be reservations. The Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes Sub Plan Act should be replicated in Punjab.  The total allocation of Rs.11573.83 crores in the 11th five year plan for the welfare of SCs  has not been used. There should be an inquiry into this.

The demonstration would be led by Convener of the Mahan Panchayat Paramjit Singh Kainth and co-convener Kiranjit Singh Gehri. The participating bodies are the Chamar Mahan Sabha, Lok Janshakti Party, National Scheduled Castes Alliance, Dalit Sena, Lokshakti Mazdur Sabha and others.  

The Mahan Panchayat has appealed to all Dalit organisations to participate in the dharna. www.cityairnews.com

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