Mohali up in arms: Dalits protest inflation,plot allottees rue delay

Holding black flags,banners and placards with slogans against the Centre and state government,the Dalits expressed their anguish against the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities of daily use,atrocities and injustice meted out to them in different spheres and indifferent attitude of the governments and administration towards their plight.

Addressing the protest rally,which culminated in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office,the Manch president Shamsher Singh said the insult of Dalits in government offices,40 per cent cut on supply of pulses and wheat to Dalits,complete ban on supply of kerosene oil,discrimination in shagun and houses for houseless people schemes,increasing trend of encroachments on village common lands to render the Dalits houseless and skyrocketing prices of essential commodities of daily use,which had rendered the poor without even the daily bread were the main issues that forced to launch the mass public agitation.

The protest concluded after submitting a memorandum to the SDM,who assured to forward it to the government for favourable consideration.

The second protest in the biting chill was by the members of the Sector 76-80 Plot Allotment Sangharsh Committee,which was spearheading the cause of those allotted plots in 2001 but were not yet given their physical possession.

Hundreds of allottees staged a massive demonstration in front of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) headquarters in Sector 62 here this morning.

The allottees,led by the panel president Sucha Singh Kalor,squatted in front of the GMADA office and raised slogans against GMADA officials for what they alleged as delay in allotment of 351 remaining plots.

Despite repeated and clear cut instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal,who is also GMADA Chairman,to immediately clear all the pending cases of allotment in Sector 76-80 without any further delay and favourable decision of the legal litigation from the Apex Court,the GMADA officials concerned were making “lame excuses” to further delay the remaining allotments,alleged the panel media spokesperson Paramdeep Singh.

The protesters demanded action against the GMADA officials concerned for “harassing” the allottees for the past 9 years.