Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said the state government has given ownership right of land to those Sikh families who have been given land on lease at the time of the then undivided Punjab.
Hooda, however, regretted that there have been chief ministers in his state, who despite having close relations with the Badal family of Punjab did not give them their right.
At a gathering organised on the occasion of Maghi Mela by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) here, Hooda made a veiled attack at the Chautalas in Haryana, claiming that ownership right had not been given to these families.
Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966.
Hooda also launched a scathing attack on the SAD-BJP alliance government in Punjab, saying they have nothing to do in the interest of the people "rather they are concerned with their own welfare."
He said Congress is the party of poor, farmers and labourers and has always worked for their welfare and welfare of the weaker sections.
The Chief Minister said that he was born in undivided Punjab and felt immense pain when he saw Punjab, which he considers as the elder brother of Haryana, falling way behind in the field of development in comparison to his state.
He also listed a number of achievements of the Congress government in Haryana.
Those who spoke on the occasion included Congress General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed and Punjab Congress chief Pratap Singh Bajwa.
Bajwa extended his gratitude to Hooda for giving justice to Sikh farmers in Haryana by increasing the lease period of land from 33 years to 99 years.
