Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi on Friday assured that he would ask the State Government to form a separate ministry for Andhra Pradesh NRIs on the lines of Kerela.
The Minister gave this assurance to a delegation of NRIs, comprising Dr Mohammad Niaz Ahmed, former chairman of Indian Embassy Schools (Riyadh) and Kamal Farooqui, Shahed Raheem and Afsar Ali Khan, which met him at Lake View Guest House here on Friday. The NRIs requested the minister that besides setting up a separate NRI ministry, the government should also consider starting an insurance scheme for Andhra Pradesh Overseas Contract Workers (OCW). Further, the government should also provide assistance when the OCWs return home and want to set up an industry or any other enterprise.
The NRIs complained that despite several assurances given by the government on domicile status to their children for further education in India, no GO has been issued to this effect. They also demanded annual grants to the Indian schools in Gulf region.
While assuring to look into the issues brought to his notice by the NRIs, Vayalar Ravi said that he would soon visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries to solve the problems being faced the NRIs. The minister said that he would convene a special meeting in the last week of May this year to discuss the problems being faced by Hyderabadi NRIs.
–Agencies