Kerala - Others   

`No `ban' stamp on Indian passports'

Gulfround-up

Dubai: In a welcome move, the UAE has decided not to stamp a "ban" on passports of Indian and other expatriate employees who are barred from taking up work here.

Expatriates facing a one-year work ban will only be registered in the ministry's database, an official at the Labour Relations Department said, adding that having the ban stamped on passport was deemed "uncivilised". An official circular said original passports and labour cards would no longer be required from sponsors wishing to report their absconding employees.

Assistant Undersecretary of Labour Humaid Bin Deemas said passports which were deposited by sponsors and employers were piling up in his department. Mr. Bin Deemas, quoted by Gulf News, said only 10 per cent of the complaints received by the ministry had original passports and labour cards attached to them. "The only difference is that unlike before, the ministry will no longer be accepting passports," he said. — UNI

More Etihad filghts

The United Arab Emirate's (UAE) 30-month-old national carrier Etihad Airways is bracing itself up to cover more destinations in Kerala .

Etihad Airways sees India as an important battleground for its plans to increase its flights to the country by about 300 per cent.

Etihad officials here confirmed that they are in talks with the Government to start air services to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.

At present, the airline flies daily to Mumbai and twice a week to Delhi. Given the huge market of over 20 lakh Keralite expatriates in the UAE, the airline would like to start services from Bangalore and Chennai as well. "We want to reach all corners of south India to link them directly with Abu Dhabi and other destinations," said Dougie Douglas, Etihad's area manager for northern India and Nepal.

Having covered 30 destinations across the world in the last 30 months, Etihad Airways plans to cover 37 destinations by the end of 2006 and 70 by 2010. The national airline of the UAE is on an expansion drive. It has already got nine of the 29 aircraft it ordered. — ANI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Unauthorised construction activities thrive in Varkala
`No `ban' stamp on Indian passports'
Devaswom remits amount for land acquisition
Arya Vaidya Sala signs MoU with hospital
Headscarf denial: school vice-principal gheraoed
Farmer commits suicide
School of Quran anniversary

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu