Duped by job agents , 36 women from Punjab stranded in Oman

GS Paul

Amritsar, May 5

A video of over 35 Punjabi women pleading with the Indian authorities to rescue them from illegal confinement in Oman had recently gone viral on social media.

After this, Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney coordinated with the Indian Embassy in Muscat and came to know that they were brought to Oman on the pretext of providing them jobs.

MP Launches ‘Mission Hope’

• To nail illegal agents and touts, Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney said he had launched a campaign, “Mission Hope”
• “According to a recent investigation by my office, the number of illegal agents in India is 2,331 and 143 in Punjab,” the MP said

“It is shocking that Indian agents approached these women and persuaded them to travel to Gulf countries on the pretext of getting them jobs and helping them settle there and this has led to their harassment and extreme exploitation,” Sahney said.

Some of them were made to enter Oman from the UAE-Oman border through Al Ain with the help of touts on either side of the border. Since their visas were time-bound, they overstayed and could not travel back to Punjab till their overstay penalties were paid to Oman courts or their employment bonds released by their sponsors upon payment.

The compensation amount varies between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh each. Sahney, who had offered to bear the compensation amount, said, “We cannot afford to wait as they need immediate help and evacuation.”

As many as 36 women from Amritsar, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Moga, Mohali and Chandigarh were stranded in the country.

“Out of these, 13 were rescued successfully with the assistance of Indian Embassy and they were shifted to a gurdwara in Oman after the penalty amount was furnished. I have taken the responsibility of paying the compensation for the remaining girls as well,” he said.

He said these women were from economically weaker families and in the hope of getting employment, they fell into the trap of illegal agents and touts.

He said the identity of the women and a report on unlicensed and banned consultants, along with their activities, would be submitted to the state government and the respective deputy commissioners in a sealed envelope.

To nail these illegal agents and touts, Sahney said he had launched a campaign, “Mission Hope”.

“The purpose was to take concrete action against the illegal operations of such agents and keep a watchful eye on the activities of the licensed ones,” he added.