Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek a liberal approach by Saudi Arabia in the implementation of the Nitaquat law.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister noted an appeal to the Saudi authorities to give more time before enforcement of Nitaquat would give a breathing space for expatriates and avoid immediate repercussions.
“I hope that you will appreciate the seriousness of the situation and its implication in India, especially in Kerala. Kindly intervene in this matter and use our cordial relations with KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) authorities so that they may take a liberal approach regarding the implementation of Nitaquat.”
Saudi Arabia, he said, had initiated strong steps to implement the Nitaquat law to expand employment avenues to its nationals which may ultimately lead to the >denial of job opportunities f or the expatriates.
He said he appreciated the limitations of the Central government in influencing the internal policy decisions of the kingdom. However, the cordial relations of India with Saudi Arabia should be made use of.