Hyderabad: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown those who are stuck in India and have to go back to Saudi Arabia to resume their work are being exploited by the travel agents.
Those working in Saudi Arabia have to return to that country before the expiry of their visas.
Taking advantage of the situation, some travel agents in Hyderabad are demanding huge amounts and they have left many passengers without help in Maldives and Armenia.
The Saudi officials have stipulated a condition for the incoming Indian passengers to have a Quarantine of 14 days in a third country.
Passengers from Hyderabad are using Maldives, Armenia, Srilanka, Uzbekistan, Oman and Qatar to pass their Quarantine period.
In recent times, many passengers from Hyderabad who reached Maldives and Armenia are facing bitter experiences due to the cheating of travel agents.
Before the departure of these passengers, the travel agents had offered them packages ranging from Rs.1.50 to Rs. 1.70 and received the full amount from them. These passengers were promised boarding and lodging facilities in Maldives.
The Indian passengers in the Maldives complained that they were provided substandard food.
The travel agents at the end of the 14 day Quarantine period refused to provide tickets to these passengers claiming that the prices of the ticket were increased.
Those working in Saudi Arabia are worried to save their employment and are compelled to obtain air tickets at the extra cost.
Many passengers on reaching the Maldives and Saudi Arabia narrated their bitter experiences. They said that they had to purchase tickets in the Maldives between Rs 74 to 80 thousand. Thus, they had to pay Rs 30000 to Rs 40000 extra while the agent had promised them tickets at Rs. 40000 but these agents did not book the ticket at the time of promising the package due to which the passengers had to pay the extra amount.