New Delhi, November 7
Even as amendments had been made to the Emigration Act to protect Indian workers from exploitation by employers abroad, the Congress-led UPA government proposes having social security pacts like the one intialled recently with other EU countries as well as putting in place labour agreements/MoUs with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Malaysia.
Simultaneously, the government aims to have a robust mechanism to save job-seeking emigrants from exploitation by recruitment agencies.
Disclosing this, Union Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vyalar Ravi told the Economic Editors’ conference here today that the proposed amendments to the 1983 Emigration Act sought to fix roles and responsibilities for both the Centre and the state governments, Indian missions, the Protector General of Emigrants and recruiting agencies.
This assumes importance as complaints pertaining to substitution of contracts, underpayment or delayed payment of wages and denial of contractual facilities to workers by their foreign employees are common
occurrences. The minister also drew pointed attention to protecting women workers from harassment by their employers abroad.
India, he said, desired having social security agreements with the EU countries and the United States. As countries in West Asia did not have social security arrangements, the government had initiated the process of signing labour agreements/MoUs.
Taking note of the complaints by NRIs on high fee structure for their wards, Mr Ravi said his ministry was considering introducing a means-cum-merit scholarship scheme for study in this country.
"My endeavour has been to establish an institutional framework to reach out and connect with the Indian diaspora the world over," the minister observed. Mr Ravi spoke about efforts under way to bring about amendments to the voters list to permit voting rights to Indian nationals holding Indian passports abroad.
