Hakim urges labourers not to fear NRC, CAA at Shramik Mela

Kolkata: State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Firhad Hakim on Thursday appealed to labourers not to fear or panic over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) or Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and stand united in their claim of Indian citizenship.

"They (the Centre) are insulting the citizens of the country through CAA. You are all voters of this country and you are responsible for bringing a government to power. So if you are denied citizenship rights then the government (Centre) has no right to remain in power. The Centre is trying to divert the attention of the people of the country from serious matters through implementation of CAA and NRC," Hakim said at the inaugural ceremony of the three-day Shramik Mela at Ramlila Maidan in Moulali on Thursday.

Hakim reiterated that over 1.20 crore people in the state have already come under the Samajik Suraksha Yojana scheme of the state government.

"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has secured the lives of the labourers and their families through Samajik Suraksha Yojana. The Centre has not taken measures to secure the lives of the labourers but is trying to create division among them on religious lines. You should all stand tall with your heads held high and thwart any such attempts of creating division among people," he added.

Meanwhile, state Labour minister Moloy Ghatak said that the state government has extended assistance to the tune of Rs 1,630 crore since 2011, after the Mamata Banerjee government came to power. In contrast, the assistance given during the period from 2000 to 2011 during the Left Front rule, stood at a paltry Rs 9 crore.

The department is now bringing more and more labourers under the aegis of Samajik Surakha Yojana that covers everyone working in all unorganised sectors.

The state government has a target of bringing over 2.60 crore people in the state under the scheme in the next few years. It may be mentioned that 94 percent of the labourers belong to the unorganised category.

Direct enrollment facilities will be available in the three day fair. "We have ruled out the involvement of middlemen when it comes to extending benefits to labourers in the unorganised sector. Now, as soon as we receive application, the amount is credited directly to the beneficiary's account," Ghatak said.