BJP raising controversial issues

He said consensus should be evolved at the national level on the priorities of the government and the policies should be directed towards the uplift of the weaker sections.

He called upon Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to review the decision of supplying free power to the farm sector. Kainth was elected to the Lok Sabha with the support of the Akali Dal.

He said the consumers in the urban areas and Dalits were being made to pay for free supply to run tubewells by way of hike in power tariff. Moreover, majority of the farmers depend on diesel sets to run tubewells and hence they were not the beneficiaries.

Kainth submitted a memorandum to Badal listing a number of demands concerning mainly the Dalits.

The Morcha adequate minimum wages for farm workers and industrial labour, filling up the backlog in the government services, provision of at least Rs. 100 crore per annum in the budget to extend loans for self-employment, implementation of the Mandal Commission report and free education up to graduation for all.

Though opposing free power to the farmers, he said Dalits should be supplied free power up to 100 units per month and the farmers owning up to five acres of land should not be made to pay for the installation charges for providing new connection to run tubewell.