External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said King of Saudi Arabia Salman has directed his officers to resolve the issue of stranded Indians within two days.
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V K Singh, one of India’s junior foreign ministers, arrives in Saudi Arabia today to discuss the evacuation of thousands of laid-off Indian workers in the kingdom.
Swaraj also said that all Indians who live in five worker complexes or camps in and around the city of Jeddah were provided with food rations by the Indian government for the next week.
Pakistan confirmed its nationals were also stranded in Saudi Arabia but gave no number.
He said that diplomatic efforts were under way to make the Saudi Government pressurise these companies to pay dues and arrears to the stranded Pakistanis. “This is my assurance to the country through Parliament…We will bring all of them back to India”, she had said.
“Things are not as bad as they have been shown and projected”, the minister said in joint remarks with Haqbani after their meeting.
Social activist Swami Agnivesh, who joined him at a press conference at the JD(U) headquarters here, alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Saudi Arabia, “indulged in propaganda” by taking “selfie with Sheikh” and held a very brief meeting with Indian workers there which was a mere “photo opportunity”.
A sharp drop in oil prices has led to a spending slowdown in Saudi Arabia, the world’s top exporter, and some construction firms that employ South Asian workers have fired their staff.
“Had fruitful discussions with Saudi Ambassador to India Dr Saud bin Mohammed Al Sati on all bilateral issues”.
“We will protect the rights of the workers, not from India alone, but from all countries (whose citizens are working) in this company”, Haqbani said without giving details. Who want to go back can do so at the expense of Government of Saudi Arabia, they can file claims.
“We are planning to first go to Jeddah and we have already established contact with various Kerala cultural organisations there who will be assisting us”, Jaleel said on Wednesday.
“Though salaries were not being paid for the last few months to its employees by a leading construction company, it was operating its food mess for workers till last week”.
SPA said Al-Olayan explained that the ministry was now providing facilities for 2,500 affected Indian workers in Jeddah, allowing them to transfer their sponsorships, and granting them re-entry visas. He said an arrangement of cooked food for 700 workers was also made on priority basis on Wednesday.
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Some of them have been forced to beg or sift through garbage to survive after going unpaid for months, according to officials.
