NRI Sabha demands action against illegal travel agents

Thursday, 17/07/2014

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=110958&boxid=59852&uid=&dat=2014-07-17

Jalandhar : “It was a nightmare, when the militants of Islamic State of Iraq and the Syria (ISIS) fired bullets on the other side of a tin wall while we were working. We were left fending for ourselves while the terror of such days still haunt us,” said Gurmukh Singh, who returned home from Baghdad in Iraq a few days ago.

Gurmukh Singh, a resident of Bijliwal village in Gurdaspur was one among a group of Punjabis who was promised a job in Kuwait by the travel agent but was sent to Iraq. The youth had come along with their village sarpanches. “We were informed that the number of workers wanted in Kuwait were already sent and that we would be sent to Iraq, where salary was paid in US dollars. But we were stuck in the war-affected country,” he said.

A group of 28 Punjabis who returned home a few days ago gathered at NRI Sabha Punjab on Wednesday raising their voice against the thriving nexus of illegal travel agents in Punjab. The youth from different districts demanded strict action against the travel agents, who had been deliberately luring gullible youth in the name of greener pastures.

Addressing a press conference, NRI Sabha Punjab president Jasvir Singh Gill demanded that Punjab government should take strict action against travel agents.

“We would meet Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and also take up the matter with the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC). Besides ensuring police action, the NRI Sabha would also gather details of travel agents,” he said.

Gill also said that he would request Punjabis going to different countries to register themselves with NRI Sabha, so that in case of an emergency, immediate assistance could be provided. “Initially, our priority was to bring the Punjabis back home and now we would seek state government’s intervention to curb the illegal travel agents nexus,” he added.

During the interaction, Prem Lal from Kajla village in Banga also blamed the Batala-based travel agent, who had promised to send him to Kuwait but later sent to Iraq. “It is the travel agent to be blamed, as my employment contract was also fake. Firstly, he promised us to take to Kuwait for which he charged Rs 70,000 and then he again demanded Rs 70,000 for sending us to Iraq. Secondly, the contract on which we had signed was different while the documents, which we received, mention contrasting details of employment,” he said.

A majority of the youth were employed with Ramita Company owned by investor Abdul Kareen Subhat in Baghdad and raised voice against the flourishing illegal travel agents. “We borrowed a huge amount and even gave a blank cheque to the travel agent. After paying the initial amount for going to Kuwait, the rest of the amount for Iraq was charged by the travel agent through the blank cheque, which amounted to Rs 40,000,” he said.

Manjit Singh, another youth from Gurdaspur, said that he had gone to Iraq through a Batala-based Kamrai travel agent, who should be booked for fraud. “My employment contract carried a picture of another youth while the details were mine. Even the contract was made for $600 whereas I was getting around $200 only. Moreover, I wanted to go to Kuwait but had to go to Iraq in search of a good salaried job,” he added.

The youth maintained the sights and sounds of bullets and noise of war had almost left them devastated. “Now, that we have reached home, we want action against travel agents,” they said.