Hyderabad: In a bid to address issues concerning the welfare and protection of Indians living overseas and to involve them in the development initiatives in the state, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) has collaborated with the Telangana government to conduct an MEA-State Outreach programme, in Hyderabad.
The programme, to be organized on 13 May, will be held after state information technology minister K. T. Rama Rao, who is also in-charge of the NRI Affairs portfolio, meets MEA officials in New Delhi on 8 May to discuss issues faced by immigrants working in Gulf countries and Malaysia, said a statement from Rao’s office on Friday.
The meeting will focus on complaints from emigrant workers broadly related to recruitment agents cheating people, violation of contractual terms, working conditions, employer related problems, the statement said.
The initiative by MEA and Telangana government is significant in the context of women from Hyderabad who go to Saudi Arabia to work and who often return alleging torture at the hands of their employers. The latest is the case of Haseena Begum, who was brought back from Riyadh after allegations of torture by her employer.
South zone Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) V. Satyanarayana said cases similar to that of Haseena Begum are common in the Old City area.
He added most workers are not aware of their rights and are cheated, and that people who go abroad to work need more awareness on various issues.
The ‘MEA – State Outreach’ programme will also discuss the setting-up of a ‘Vidhesh Bhavan’ at Hyderabad, to facilitate easy access of MEA offices such as the Regional Passport Office for citizens.
A pilot project will also be taken up with the services of employment exchanges in collaboration with Mee-Seva (state government service for issuing documents, paying bills, etc.,) outlets to speed up the process of issuing passports, mentioned the press release.
Rao, in his meeting on 8 May, will specifically take up the issues of data of emigrants of Telangana state, insurance, legal assistance, fake agents, and guidelines for emigrants among others, with the MEA, it added.