Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 5

The birth anniversary of Lord Vishwakarma was celebrated with devotion in the city on Friday. Most of the industries and businesses remained closed on the occasion.

The Rashtriya Bihar Vikas Manch and Uttar Pradesh Kalyan Parishad held a programme at the Focal Point Mehta Road. Om Prakash Soni, Deputy Chief Minister, was the chief guest on the occasion and he congratulated people on the occasion.

Soni said the government was running many schemes for the welfare of the working class. He announced Rs 20 lakh to the National Bihar Vikas Manch for the construction of a shelter for the workers. He said the government opened Skill Development Centers to impart skills to the youth. He said the migrants had been a major contributor to the economic development of Punjab.

On this day, people clean their industries; worship Lord Vishwakarma with great devotion for the growth of business. He said the government had waived all arrears of electricity up to 2 KW and also reduced the price of electricity by Rs 3 per unit. He said by doing this, Punjab had become the cheapest power producing state in the country.

“The government doubled the amount of old age pension and the Ashirwad Scheme. On this occasion, Soni also donated crutches and tricycles to the physically-challenged with the help of Uttar Pradesh Welfare Council. MP Gurjit Singh Aujla, Sunil Dutti MLA North, Jugal Kishore Sharma, former MLA, also addressed the workers.

Dr JP Singh, patron of the Focal Point Main Ground Council and Sugreev Singh, president of the council were also present on the occasion.

The council sought minimum wages from the government and also requested them to look into the complaints of tax service rules, bonded labor, social harassment, economic exploitation, besides harassment by the state police and the Railway Police. They demanded social welfare facilities such as ESI and Provident Fund for all kinds of workers, including, construction workers. Unorganised workers, who neither work under the factory act or shop, should also get the social security benefits under the labour rules. They sought shifting of the labour office from New Amritsar to district administration complex. They wanted elevation of the local ESI Hospital to a model hospital.