Cong promises civic schemes for migrants, gig workers, cloud kitchens in Gurugram

Calling them the backbone of Gurugram, Congress has promised to introduce special civic schemes for migrants, gig workers and cloud kitchens. Zile Singh Nambardar, Congress candidate for Ward 23, highlighted the vital role these groups play in the city’s economy, emphasising despite the BJP’s governance under a triple-engine government during the last Municipal Corporation tenure, these workers have been largely ignored.

The ward, which includes Chakkarpur village, a recent addition to the constituency, has one of the highest concentrations of migrant and gig workers. Nambardar, who has been the president of the local Resident Welfare Association (RWA) for Chakkarpur and Saraswati Vihar for over a decade, expressed frustration at the lack of attention these groups have received.

“These workers are not only a key part of our electorate but also the backbone of the city’s economy. The BJP has been in power for over a decade and while we have had independent councillors here, what have they accomplished? Come and see the living conditions — there’s no proper infrastructure, no water, no roads. When there’s a crisis, MCG takes ages to respond. Sanitation is a major problem and that’s because these people have never been a priority for the ruling party. As an RWA president, I’ve been serving them for over ten years, and now, once elected to the Municipal Corporation, we will be able to implement a policy that supports them,” said Nambardar.

Seema Pahuja, the Congress mayoral candidate, also criticised the BJP’s manifesto, labelling it as classist and exclusionary. “What have they offered to small-time vendors, squatters and domestic workers? The BJP’s agenda is elitist and fails to address the needs of the majority of Gurugram’s residents. They’ve completely ignored the migrant population and the villages that have turned into urban ghettos,” Pahuja stated.