Rehabilitate Iraq evacuees: NRI Sabha
Thursday, 17/07/2014
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140717/punjab.htm#11
Jalandhar : The NRI Sabha has demanded a rehabilitation programme for the youths rescued from Iraq. It also wants illegal travel agents booked by the police.
Addressing the mediapersons here today, sabha president Jasbir Singh Gill said they would take up these issues with the state government. There was a need to initiate a rehabilitation programme for the youths who recently returned from Iraq as most of them belonged to weaker sections of society and majority of them had debt to repay. The government should provide them financial aid as they had no source of income, he said.
Gill said the sabha had started gathering information about the Punjabis who were still trapped in war-torn Iraq. The information was being shared with the district administration.
He said no case had been registered against any unauthorised travel agent so far. "We will approach the district administration and the Punjab State Human Rights Commission to help us get cases registered against unauthorised travel agents involved in illegal migration of Punjabi youths," he added.
The sabha claimed to have helped in evacuation of 26 Punjabi youths. Most of them had got only 10-day visa to Iraq. However, they stayed back in the war-torn country and worked illegally there. Gill said the sabha would set up a help desk for NRIs. "We want everyone who goes abroad to register with us so that we can help them out in times of crisis," he added.
Sarabjit Singh of Raipur Rasul village, who recently returned from Iraq, said he worked with construction company Fourth Dimension in Iraq. The company had not paid him his wages of around Rs 2 lakh for five months. "I want the government to help me get my salary so that I can repay my debt," he said.
Gurdeep Singh of Garhdiwala said he went to Iraq through a Batala-based agent. He paid the agent Rs 1.2 lakh before getting the visa. "He made me sign a blank cheque in his name so that he could deduct the rest of the amount from my wages. I want my money back from the agent," he said.
