'Punjabi families who migrated from Pak will be taken to neighbouring country free of cost'

Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that Punjabi families who had migrated from Pakistan during partition would be taken to Pakistan to visit their ancestral villages free of cost after relaxation in visa rules. At present, India and Pakistan authorities are working on relaxing the visa norms.

Hooda was addressing a gathering at Punjabi Ekta Manch's 'Punjabi Milan Sammaroh' at Panchkula on Monday.

Addressing the gathering in Punjabi language, Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that many families of Punjabi community had migrated to India during the partition in 1947. "Once the relaxed visa norms are cleared, those who had taken birth in Pakistan and were keen to visit their birthplaces, would be taken free of cost to Pakistan," Hooda said.

On the demand raised by Punjabi Ekta Manch for providing land to set up Punjabi Bhawan in Panchkula, Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that the demand would be considered sympathetically.

Stating to have old relation with the Punjabi community, the chief minister said that Punjabis had played a significant role in making Haryana the 'number one' state.

Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that Punjabi language had been given the status of second language in Haryana during 2005 when he became the chief minister. Also, he has framed a policy of recruitment of teachers of Punjabi subject in government schools. He said that now economically weaker Punjabi families would get 10% reservation along with other castes.

Hooda said that Punjabis had also played a great role in the freedom movement, while recalling the sacrifices of Bhagat Singh and Madan Lal Dhingra, who were Punjabis.