A delegation of the Telangana Congress led by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, party All India Congress Committee Telangana in-charge R.C. Khuntia, AICC secretary Madhu Yashki Goud and former MLA T. Jeevan Reddy met Telangana workers in Dubai to understand their problems and their issues that could be included in the manifesto.
Along with the TPCC NRI cell convenor S.V. Reddy and others, they visited the labour camps in Alqouz area of Dubai and interacted with them.
Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy later promised that the Congress, if voted to power in next elections, would establish Gulf facilitation centres to help nearly 10 lakh migrant workers of Telangana who are working different Gulf countries.
The centres would provide assistance to Gulf immigrants in case of ill-health, death or any other problem, a press release said.
Mr. Reddy said the next Congress government would come up with a comprehensive NRI policy within 100 days of coming to power and a special NRI cell would be established in all the district Collectorates.
He also promised that a fund of ₹500 crore would be set up to help migrant workers and a health insurance cover of ₹5 lakh would be extended to those who return home due to ill-health. An ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh would be paid to the families of workers who die due to various diseases in Gulf.
The TPCC chief said the TRS Government completely neglected Gulf migrant workers and it did not respond when more than 900 Telangana immigrants in the Gulf countries died due to various reasons, primarily ill-health, during the last four-and-a-half years.
The TPCC chief said a Gulf Workers Corporation would be established and legal aid would be provided to migrant labourers and NRIs who are lodged in Gulf jails. He said the names of Gulf migrant workers would be continued on ration cards and they would be eligible to get benefits under Aarogyasri Scheme.
Later, the Congress leaders participated in the ‘Deewali Dhoomdham’ attended by over 2,000 migrant workers.
