Will set up welfare board for migrants, says Hooda

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, August 17

Former CM and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda has promised to set up a welfare board for migrant workers in the state if the party comes to power in the Assembly elections.

Speaking at the Bhojpuri Awadhi Samaj Pravasi Sammelan here today, Hooda said that there was an urgent need for measures like a board to keep watch on the interests of thousands of migrant

workers and employees engaged in building up the economy of the state for the past many decades.

Lauding their role in the socio-economic structure of the state, especially the areas falling in the NCR, he said it is the Congress which was capable of ensuring the welfare of all the communities. The migrants who had settled here or had been a vital part of the economy also deserved treatment at par with other residents.

Claiming that while Neeraj Sharma, the present MLA from NIT, also belonged to the migrant category, Hooda said the city’s first Mayor had also been a migrant.

Hooda said the migrants have contributed to building Haryana with their hard work and played an important role in the development of industry and increase in investment. He said many factories have come to the state and the role of the migrants in the state’s economy could not be overlooked.

He said while several schemes including housing facilities had been launched during the Congress rule for migrants, the BJP government razed around 10,000 houses of poor people who were mainly migrants from UP and Bihar, resulting in severe victimisation.

HPCC chief Udai Bhan told the people not to be misled by the false promises and temptations offered by the BJP government just ahead of the poll.