FOR FAVOUR OF PUBLICATION

NEW DELHI, Feb. 4—Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Shri Jaiprakash Agarwal said the Congress was a democratic party in which the poor, the downtrodden, labour, farmer, Dalit, traders, the minorities, all castes and religions got equal respect as the credo of the party was service to people. While addressing a meeting of the Labour Cell at Rajiv Bhawan, DPCC office, here today, Shri Agarwal said the DPCC was formulating a solid action-plan to protect the interest of the labour class as lakhs of people from all over the country had made Delhi their home to eke out a living.

The meeting was organised by various labour unions of Delhi at the appointment of Shri Sukhbir Sharma as the chairman of the DPCC Labour Cell. The meeting thanked Shri Jaiprakash Agarwal for entrusting the honourable position of the chairman of DPCC's Labour Cell to prominent labour leader Shri Sukhbir Sharma.

Shri Agarwal said Shri Sukhbir Sharma has been fighting for the rights of the labour class in Delhi for the past three decades and was very familiar with the problems and demands of the labour of Delhi . He said the labour force in Delhi has been a solid support base of the Congress Party and the Congress, therefore, would spare no effort in protecting their interest and getting them their just rewards. He said taking this aspect into consideration that a popular labour leader like Shri Sukhbir Sharma has been given the charge of the party's Labour Cell, to give a firm voice to the labour of Delhi .

Besides Shri Jaiprakash Agarwal, prominent others present at the meeting were vice-presidents Shri Rajkumar Kholi and Shri Balwan Khokkar, general-secretary Shri Deepak Gothi, MLA Vinay Sharma, Gopal Pahadia, Jaiveer Nagar, O.P.Kaushik, S.K.Puri and Sanjay Puri. Various representatives of the labour organisations presented mementoes to Shri Agarwal to express their gratitude for the appointment of Shri Sharma as chairman of the Labour Cell.

Shri Sukhbir Sharma said it was for the first time that a DPCC president had given so much importance to the Labour Cell as the party was making all efforts in solving the problems of the labour and protecting their rights. He said he would try his utmost to fulfil the confidence reposed on him by Shri Agarwal and spare no effort to give a better deal to the toiling masses of Delhi .

PRAMOD KUMAR
Office Secretary

The Chief Reporter

New Delhi.