The Hindu : Kerala News : Chandy takes up cause of Gulf NRIs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 09, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Chandy takes up cause of Gulf NRIs

By Arunkumar Bhatt

MUMBAI, JAN. 8. The Kerala Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, today championed the cause of the 3.5 million Indians in the Gulf and endorsed their demand for the right to vote at the Third Bharatiya Divas, a global conference of overseas Indians.

Voters' list

Addressing a special session on `NRIs in Gulf,' Mr. Chandy demanded that the names of all Indian passport holders in the Gulf be included on the voters' rolls.

The demand was reiterated by various speakers from Oman, the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia.

Low budget flights

Mr. Chandy said almost half of these Indians were Malayalis who had contributed significantly to the economy of Kerala.

He said low budget airlines should be introduced to benefit the Gulf NRIs.

Though Air-India had been permitted to operate low budget flights from March next, this did not include the Gulf sector.

The Union Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs, Jagdish Tytler, expressed concern over the working conditions of housemaids and labourers in the Gulf.

He said the Government would take stern action against unscrupulous travel agents.

Corporate law office

Mr. Tytler said there was plan to set up a corporate law office in Dubai to take care of the legal needs of Indians in the region.

He underscored the need for basic training of workers prior to foreign employment.

Welfare of NRIs

R. Dayakar, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, said the Government accorded high priority to the welfare of the NRI community in the Gulf and in its bilateral talks with Governments of those countries.

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