Nitaqat fallout: Centre asks states to ensure rehabilitation

The Centre will collaborate with state governments concerned to rehabilitate those coming back from Saudi Arabia as a fallout of the Gulf country's new labour law, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said today.
"The decision has been taken that every state government will create a mechanism to receive them and also it will identify the central schemes and other programmes to help these people. These details will be worked out later," he said.
He was speaking after a meeting with representatives of state governments concerned regarding the Indians returning or expected to return from Saudi Arabia following the implementation of Nitaqat law.

Ravi said he has asked the state governments to ensure rehabilitation of the people returning from Saudi Arabia.
"The central concern is that how we can do our best. Government of India will collaborate with the state governments to do its best for the people who are coming back from Saudi Arabia," he said.
"The main discussion was over the rehabilitation of these people. They are from different states and the state governments have to take initiatives to rehabilitate these people who are coming from Saudi Arabia and this part of the world," he said.

The Nitaqat law makes it mandatory for local companies to hire one Saudi national for every 10 migrant workers. There has been widespread perception that the new policy will lead to denial of job opportunities for a large number of Indians working there.

Over 20 lakh Indians are currently working in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government was implementing the Nitaqat law to cut unemployment in the country.
Ravi that his ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs are in touch with the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia. The embassy is well equipped, persons of Indian community is visiting the embassy every day to get their exit passes and other documents.
This process is going on over a month, the embassy is working 24x7, he said.
"Around 72,000 people living there will be affected by the new law. We have had a discussion with Air India which has told us that it is very difficult for them to ferry these people for free," the minister said.