Congress to Hold Protest in Panchkula on August 19 over HKRN Workers’ Demands: Former Haryana CM Hooda

Rohtak/Chandigarh, August 11, 2026: Former Haryana Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday announced that the Congress will hold a major protest outside the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN) office in Panchkula on August 19, demanding regularisation of contractual workers and fulfilment of their other demands.

Senior Congress leader Ashok Arora has been appointed coordinator of the protest, which will be attended by senior party leaders, the state Congress in-charge, Pradesh Congress president, MPs, MLAs, office-bearers and workers.

Addressing a press conference, Hooda said all workers engaged through HKRN should be regularised and future recruitment should be made on a permanent, merit-based basis. He alleged that the BJP had promised to regularise 1.25 lakh contractual workers during the Assembly elections, but nearly two years later, no law or official order has been issued.

He demanded that HKRN workers be given salaries and benefits at par with regular employees, including healthcare, leave, travel allowance and reservation, besides a clear legal employment status.

He also announced that the Congress will constitute a committee headed by Ashok Arora to examine and expose alleged scams of the BJP government. MLA Raghuvir Kadian will be a special invitee.

Hooda said the Congress would raise several issues in the forthcoming Assembly session, including alleged irregularities involving IDFC First Bank, AU Small Finance Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank, deteriorating law and order, organised crime, increased taxes, waterlogging, farmers’ compensation, power employees’ demands, privatisation of electricity distribution in Gurugram, guest teachers and sanitation workers.

On fertiliser availability, Hooda alleged that the state government had failed to lift its allocated quota of urea and DAP, causing difficulties for farmers. He also demanded that Haryana be made a co-organising state along with Gujarat for the proposed Commonwealth Games in India.

On SYL canal issue, Hooda said the Haryana Chief Minister frequently visits Punjab but never raises the issue of securing Haryana’s rightful share of water. He questioned why the government remains silent while decisions are being taken to supply water from Haryana to Rajasthan through pipelines.

On E20 fuel, Hooda said several reports indicate that higher ethanol blending can affect vehicle performance and mileage, besides increasing maintenance costs. Despite this, he alleged, the government is “forcing” E20 on consumers.

Responding to criticism of the Congress sports policy, Hooda said the policy introduced during the Congress regime continues to be appreciated across the country and abroad. He said Haryana was the first to directly appoint 17 medal-winning sportspersons, including Yogeshwar Dutt, Joginder Sharma, Mamta Sauda and Vijender Singh, as DSPs.