Over 10K Indians facing food scarcity in Saudi Arabia: Swaraj

July 31, 2016

swaraj New Delhi, Jul 31: In a humanitarian crisis, over 10,000 Indian workers in Saudi Arabia are facing severe food shortage due to financial hardship after losing their jobs and the government has ordered its mission in the Gulf nation to provide food to them besides other assistance.

Late in the evening, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj appealed to 30 lakhs Indians in that country to help their "fellow brothers and sisters", asserting that there is nothing "mightier" than the collective will of the Indian nation.

"We have asked @IndianEmbRiyadh to provide free ration to the unemployed Indian workers in Saudi Arabia," she said in a series of tweets. Swaraj said Indians in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were facing various problems relating to their work and wages and that the "matters are much worse" in the former.

Her initial response came following a tweet by a man who said around 800 Indians were starving for the last three days in Jeddah and sought her intervention.

However, later, she said "The number of Indian workers facing food crisis in Saudi Arabia is over ten thousand. It is not 800 as is being reported." Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh will soon travel to the Gulf nation to assess severity of the problem and try to resolve it.

"I assure you that no Indian worker rendered unemployed in Saudi Arabia will go without food. I am monitoring this on hourly basis," she said. Swaraj said a large number of Indians have lost their jobs in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and that their employers have not paid wages and closed down their factories.

"As a result our brothers and sisters in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are facing extreme hardship," she said, adding while the situation in Kuwait is "manageable", matters are much "worse" in Saudi Arabia.

Swaraj said MoS external affairs M J Akbar will take up the issue with Kuwait and Saudi Arabian authorities. "My colleagues @Gen_VKSingh will go to Saudi Arabia to sort out these matters and @MJakbar will take up with Kuwait and Saudi authorities."

The Indian Consulate officials have already left for a highway camp near Jeddah where hundreds of workers need assistance.

The Consulate, in association with the Indian Community in Jeddah, has already distributed 15,475 kgs of food stuff and other items.

"I appeal to 30 lakhs Indians in Saudi Arabia. Please help your fellow brothers and sisters. There is nothing mightier than the collective will of Indian nation," Swaraj said.

Comments

Dear Saudi Brother & Sister...

As our external Minister asking for offering help with 3 millions residing in saudi arabia if everyone will make Little contribution i bet u 100 % resolution will there for resolving problems.. dont be greedy please help our own people of india,.. atleast basic food & shelter.....

GOD will surly reward u for helping need person,,,when they really need ur help to survive

Appreciate her initiate and only Minister working in Modi govt.
Unfortunately she doing all the works India itself since PM on world tour.

INDIA need more Great leader like Sushmaji. She is doing great job. NRI's feeling safe because of her. Big salute her.

Good job

She is being doing wonderful job,.. Atleast putting efforts and trying to resolve issues facing by NRI in overseas ..Its a great move.. people are getting awareness , that Indians are facing tough situation who lost thier job. let us all pray for our brother & sister to come out from situation easily .. AMEEN

Ask indian embassy to do some ....send funds first for action....
Also do something about the food crisis within our country..

Bhai Ashish Thailand

She is the external affairs minister. She is doing her job.

And regarding food problems within india, please ask ur PM about it.

Thanks

Madam,
U r doing a great job. Over millions of people facing food problems within India.. What is the plan of action?

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Karnataka Approves Enhancing Contingency Fund Limit to Rs 500 Crore

News Network

July 10,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 10: The Karnataka cabinet gave its approval for "The Karnataka Contingency Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2020" to enhance the contingency fund limit to Rs 500 crore in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This will be an ordinance making one time enhancement in the limit as the government needs money to make payments immediately, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister JC Madhuswamy told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

Under the contingency fund, the government had room to spend up to Rs 80 crore without budget provision.

"...but this time due to COVID-19 as we had to give money to some sections that were in distress like barbers, flower and vegetable growers, taxi drivers, among others, we have decided to increase the limit to Rs 500 crore," Mr Madhuswamy said.

"As assembly was not in session and as we had to make payments to those in distress immediately, this decision has been taken," he added.

The cabinet today ratified the administrative approval given to carry out civil and electrical works to install medical gas pipeline with high flow oxygen system at district hospitals, taluk and community health centres coming under Health and Family welfare department in view of COVID-19.

The minister said about Rs 207 crore is being approved for this purpose.

It also ratified procurement of medical equipment and furniture for public healthcare institutions of the health and family welfare department worth Rs 81.99 crore.

According to the minister, the cabinet has decided to bring in an amendment to section 9 of the Lokayukta act, which mandates that the preliminary inquiry contemplated by Lokayukta or Upalokayuta should be completed in 90 days and charge sheeting should be completed within six months.

Noting that at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) cess was being collected, he said as the government had brought in an amendment to the APMC act, there was demand to reduce the market cess. "So we have reduced it from 1.5 per cent to one per cent."

Approval has also been given by the cabinet to bring Karnataka Vidyuth Kharkane (KAVIKA) and Mysore Electrical Industries (MEI), which are presently under the control of Commerce and Industries department, under administrative control of the energy department.

Other decisions taken by the cabibinet include deployment and implementation of "e-procurement 2.0" project on PPP at a cost of Rs 184.37 crore and ratification of the action taken to issue orders on March 24 to release interest free loan of Rs 2,500 crore to ESCOMs for payment of outstanding power purchase dues to generating companies.

The cabinet also gave administrative approval for setting up of an Indian Institute of Information technology at Raichur.

"Under this, we are committed to provide Rs 44.8 crore in four years for infrastructure," the minister added.

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Noam Chomsky, Amartya Sen among others to join 'Kerala Dialogue’

coastaldigest.com news network

June 25,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 25: The government of Kerala under the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is all set to launch the 'Kerala Dialogue' -- a debate series on new concepts and development models during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A series of visionaries including noted political thinker Noam Chomsky and Nobel-laureate economist Amartya Sen will join this unique initiative that is to be rolled out from Friday.

The debate series to be inaugurated by the CM will feature prominent personalities from various walks of life including scientists, philosophers, diplomats, economists, writers, journalists, activists, technocrats and people's representatives.

The first episode will have Chomsky, Sen and WHO Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan speaking on 'Kerala - Future Paths of Development'.

State Planning Board vice chairman VK Ramachandran and senior journalist N Ram would be the moderators. The first episode would be telecast through the Chief Minister's official social media accounts.

The coming episodes in the series will also be telecast in the same manner. The government is of the view that the Kerala Dialogue series can ensure debates and dialogues on sustainable and inclusive development on the lines of the Kerala model.

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I am from Global University for Sustainability, with its executive team based in Hong Kong