Free tickets likely for Indian workers stranded in KSA

April 6, 2013

Free_tickets

Riyadh, Apr 6: With top level talks planned between India and Saudi Arabia over the fallout of the Kingdom’s Nitaqat program, the Indian government is reportedly planning to provide free air tickets for thousands of “deserving workers” to go back home.

Oommen Chandy, chief minister of the southern Indian state of Kerala from where the majority of Indian workers in the Kingdom come, told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that the federal government in Delhi has responded to Kerala’s request to bear full ticker fares of expatriates in Saudi Arabia wishing to return to the state. He said Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi had informed the state that the federal government would take care of the expenses.

A high-level delegation from New Delhi led by Ravi is set to visit Saudi Arabia later this month to hold talks with Saudi officials and help workers in distress.

“The dates of minister Ravi’s visit have not been finalized,” said Sibi George, deputy chief of the Indian mission, when asked about reports in a section of the Indian press.

He added that the Indian Embassy has “not received any formal communication from New Delhi about the issue of free air tickets for deserving workers to return to India.” “Any formal communication takes some time to reach the embassy,” he added.

He pointed out that “more than 6,000 Indian workers have approached the embassy for emergency travel documents so far.” This is in addition to thousands of workers who have contacted the Jeddah-based Indian Consulate for outpasses. The embassy, he said, was receiving several requests for it to provide these out passes in various cities of Saudi Arabia.

“In order to help Indian nationals in other cities who wish to apply for emergency travel certificates, it has been decided that their applications will be received by the embassy by post or courier,” said George. Emergency certificates will be issued only after the Saudi authorities agree to grant permission for the final exit of the applicants, he added. He pointed out that the emergency certificate form can be downloaded for free from the embassy’s website.

He said an application form for an emergency certificate has to be accompanied by a copy of the applicant’s passport, residency permit and any other document to establish the person’s identity as an Indian national. It may be forwarded to EC Section, Embassy of India, B-1 Diplomatic Quarter, PO Box 94387, Riyadh 11693, Saudi Arabia. Indian nationals need not visit the embassy premises to submit the applications for emergency certificates, he stressed.

Referring to the concerns raised by the Indian government over the fate of workers, a report released by the Ministry of Overseas Affairs said that Ravi will hold a meeting of ministers from nine states to discuss the issue. Terming the issue as “serious,” Ravi said he has directed the Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao to do everything possible to help workers.

A delegation from the Indian state of Karnataka comprising K. Jayaprakash Hegde, MP, and U. T. Khader, MLA, are currently visiting Saudi Arabia. They held a meeting with the Indian ambassador here to discuss the issue of expatriates who are facing hardships. The Indian state of Kerala has the maximum number of workers in Saudi Arabia.

There are 6.5 million Indians in the Gulf, out of which close to 2.2 million are in Saudi Arabia. According to the World Bank, in 2012 Indians worldwide sent back remittances of $ 70 billion, with around 60 percent of it coming from those working in the Gulf. During 2011-12, the two-way trade between the two nations stood at about $ 37 billion. However, the trade surplus is in favor of Saudi Arabia because of crude oil exports to India.

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News Network
June 26,2020

Dubai, Jun 26: As summers in Dubai bloom in its full glory, the most savoured summer fruit - Mongo - is getting the most special treatment in the city as it gets delivered to customers via an emperor like ride of a Lamborghini.

As per a video report by Gulf News, the Pakistan Supermarket in Dubai is delivering the king of fruits to the doorsteps of its customers in a green coloured Lamborghini to match the level of its supremacy among fruits.

"The king should travel like a king," says the managing director of the store, Mohammad Jehanzeb who delivers the pulpy fruit by himself and also takes the customers on a short ride in the luxury car.

In order to avail the offer rolled out on the Facebook page of the famous supermarket, customers are required to make a minimum order of Dh100, reports the Gulf News.

"The idea is to put a smile on people's faces and make them feel special," says Jehanzeb who has put a smile on the face of dozens of Dubai residents amidst the throes of a pandemic with his 'Mangoes in Lamborghini' campaign.

The delicacy this year has gone viral with videos of delighted mango lovers taking a joy ride in the supercar doing rounds over the internet.

"The joy ride was essentially meant for kids who have been sequestered at homes because of the coronavirus but adults are equally thrilled at the prospect of getting behind the wheels of my Lamborghini Huracan. I am happy to oblige them too," says Jehanzeb.

"Each order takes about an hour. We do about 7-8 home deliveries a day but are hoping to ramp up the numbers to 12," he adds.

Arshad Khan who hails from the Indian city of nawabs - Lucknow- ordered the 'nawabi' varieties - Sindhri and Anwar Ratol - and said that his children were exhilarated after hearing the roar of the Lamborghini outside their Falcon City villa.

"For someone who hails from Lucknow -- the land of the famous dussheri and landga mangoes -- I was a bit skeptical about the taste of Pakistani mangoes. I ordered them for the sheer experience of seeing them come to my place in a luxury supercar," Gulf News quoted Khan as saying.

"It was quite exhilarating and I must confess that the mangoes were as delicious as the ones back home," he added.

Mango fruit has been a delicacy in the 16th-century Hindustan sub-continent. It holds a fascinating narrative in Babur Nama which is an autobiography of the Mughal emperor Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur.

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News Network
January 8,2020

Dubai, Jan 8: Iranian state television said on Wednesday that at least 80 "American terrorists" were killed in attacks involving 15 missiles Tehran launched on US targets in Iraq, adding that none of the missiles were intercepted.

State TV, citing a senior Revolutionary Guards source, also said Iran had 100 other targets in the region in its sights if Washington took any retaliatory measures. It also said US helicopters and military equipment were "severely damaged".

Iran launched missile attacks on US-led forces in Iraq in the early hours of Wednesday in retaliation for the US drone strike on an Iranian commander whose killing has raised fears of a wider war in the Middle East.

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Agencies
June 28,2020

Kuwait, Jun 28: Measures imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in Kuwait are believed to have increased suicide cases in the country, according to a media report.

Forty suicide cases and 15 failed attempts, mainly among Asian expatriates, have been recorded in Kuwait since late February, Gulf News quoted the Al Qabas newspaper report, citing sources as saying on Saturday.

Investigations into the majority of cases have revealed that those who committed suicide had experienced psychological and economic troubles due to dire financial circumstances after their employers stopped to pay them as a result of economic fallout from the coronavirus-related measures.

In one case, an expat livestreamed his suicide while chatting with his fiancee on a social networking platform, the newspaper report said.

Suicide cases have increased by around 40 per cent since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, according to the sources.

Some 70 to 80 suicide cases are recorded annually in Kuwait. Last year, they reached 80 suicides against 77 in 2018.

"Suicide cases have started to go up in Kuwait during the coronavirus pandemic due to fear, anxiety, isolation and instability experienced by people and absence of daily aims that could help the person to spend time regularly as before," the newspaper quoted social psychology consultant Samira Al Dosari as saying.

Uncertainty for some expatriates, whose countries have refused to take them in, is another motive for attempting suicide, according to Jamil Al Muri, a sociology professor at the Kuwait University.

"This is in addition to greed of the iqamat traders, who have brought into the country workers in names of phantom companies and abandoned them on the streets," he added.

Starting from Tuesday, Kuwait will embark on the second phase of a stepwise plan to bring life to normal, Gulf News reportd.

According to Phase 2, a nationwide night-time curfew will be reduced by one hour to run daily from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. for three weeks.

Kuwait has so far reported 44,391 COVID-19 cases, with 344 deaths.

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Angry indian
 - 
Tuesday, 30 Jun 2020

YA ALLah save all dispressed people in the earth..

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