Vijayamma warns of mass exodus of Indian repatriates

Hyderabad, May 18, 2013: YSR Congress party honourary president Smt. Y.S. Vijayamma has requested the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to initiate immediate measures to tackle the crisis arising out of the implementation of the new labour law ‘Nitaqat’ by the Saudi Arabian Government.  

In a letter sent to Dr. Singh on Friday, she made a fervent appeal to him to intervene in the matter and bring diplomatic pressure on the Saudi Government to follow a liberal approach in implementing the new law to avoid a possible major human crisis.  

She said that as the Saudi Government had refused to extend the 3-month grace period ending on July 3 before which the 12 lakh Indian expatriate workers had been asked to get their work and residency papers corrected, the Indians working in that country are likely to lose their jobs resulting in a major crisis.  

Out of the 12 lakh workers, more than one lakh of them are from AP and all of them will be badly affected losing their jobs, she said, pointing out that the entire country and especially the state of Andhra Pradesh would have its negative impact. The country will also lose NRI remittances considerably, she warned.  

“The implementation of the law will result in a forcible exodus of Indian workers back from Saudi Arabia triggering a major social and economic crisis across the nation in general and in the AP in particular,” she said in her letter and asked the PM to take steps to provide alternative employment to them.  

A diplomatic initiative should be initiated on an emergency basis with the Saudi Government seeking more time for the Indian workers there to meet the requirements of the new law. “If more time is allowed, it will give a breather and avoid immediate repercussions,” she suggested and asked the PM to take up the issue with the Saudi Government at a high level to find an amicable solution to the issue.  

She also requested the Prime Minister to constitute a high powered special action committee to deal with the situation and make arrangements to provide alternative employment to those who are likely to return to India.  

“We further request that the Government of Andhra Pradesh be directed to take special measures to rehabilitate the expatriates and provide them employment,” she urged the PM.