Help Gulf victims, KTR urges External Affairs Ministry

Telangana IT and Panchayat Raj Minister K T Rama Rao today urged the External Affairs Ministry officials to take effective steps to protect the Telangana State workers getting stranded in Gulf nations without job, suitable atmosphere and wages.

Though scheduled to meet with the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, the minister met the officials of the department in the national capital along with some of the victims, it is learnt. KTR, during a meeting with the officials, explained to them about the plight of the victims working in Gulf and Dubai under miserable working conditions and getting cheated on wages. Seeking urgent steps to provide immediate succor to the victims, KTR learnt to have told the officials that there are victims from Karimanagar, Nizamabad, Warangal and other Telangana districts.

KTR also apprised the External Affairs officials about the problems such as agents offer better job opportunities, deny suitable salaries, cheat the workers and deny their passports and finally the workers end up in losing their health and temporary employment leading to overstaying in miserable conditions. The minister said to have urged EAM officials to take steps to ensure that the workers from Telangana in Gulf and Dubai and other nations get job security, timely and suitable salaries, favorable working atmosphere and health facility. The Agents or those companies hiring should return the passports to these workers when they do not want to continue to work, he said. Other reason why some of the workers getting health problems both physical and mental is that they are migrating for livelihood after getting addicted to spurious toddy, in the home State, which is not available in the Gulf nations. (NSS)