New Delhi: In an effort to tap the votebank
in the unorganised sector, BJP today announced the formation
of a labourers` federation saying its aim was to provide them
with a platform to raise their demands.
"The idea is not new as many would think...we are only
following the ideals of Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Shyama Prasad
Mukherjee who gave us the concept of `antodaya` to ensure that
the benefits of development reach the last person in queue,"
party president Nitin Gadkari said here.
He said out of the 43 crore labourers engaged in the
unorganised sector, the new federation -- Bharatiya Janata
Asangathit Mazdoor Mahasangh (unorganised labourers`
federation) -- would strive to enrol at least 50 lakh as its
members.
Claiming that except during the NDA rule, no schemes
were implemented for the sector, he said that party MPs would
raise their concerns in Parliament and ensure laws are made to
benefit the workers.
"The biggest problem is that since the sector is
unorganised, workers fail to put across their concerns and
often get neglected," Gadkari said.
He also announced the appointment of Prahlad Pal as the
first president of the new federation.
Gadkari said the federation plans to take up issues of
auto drivers, taxi drivers, domestic helps, daily wage
labourers and people involved in other unorganised sectors.
PTI
