“All people who want to go back, they will go back at the expense of the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”, Singh told reporters in the capital, Riyadh, after meeting Saudi Labor Minister Mufrej al-Haqbani.
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“The [Pakistani] embassy has further informed that Saudi King has issued a decree for urgent payment of dues to workers by the concerned”, the office of the prime minister said.
“We have started disbursing cash to workers at three camps – Siteen, Aljazeera and Taif – which have 300, 300 and 200 workers, respectively”, the ambassador said over the phone from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “This is happening because of the relations he made during his visit to Saudi Arabia”.
He also asked the state government to work out schemes to rehabilitate those who return. Almost 10,000 Indian workers laid off of their jobs in Saudi Arabia were stranded without enough money for food.
A source familiar with the circumstances said some abandoned construction projects were Saudi government contracts.
The authorities have also advised the workers to lodge petitions with the Saudi labour ministry seeking pending salary dues and other benefits.
“I am happy to inform the House that the Saudi ruler has taken note of the plight of Indian workers… the Saudi King has instructed his officials to resolve the issue in two days”, she said.
There is a strong possibility that the Saudi company would be closed, said the embassy official. Around 20% are living on their own while majority of them are living in various camps set up by the company in Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Taif and Makkah regions.
“Yesterday, we contracted all the providers to provide health, catering, maintenance and everything, and we contracted the airlines to send back anybody who wants to go there upon the approval of the Embassy of India”, Haqbani said, according to a text of the remarks provided by his ministry.
Numerous employers have shut their factories and some have left the country, leaving the workers stranded, she said.
“Many workers who have been laid-off were employed with companies that have themselves folded up, and therefore the requisite no-objection certificates needed for emergency exit visas are proving hard to procure”.
The Minister said the Saudi ruler has also issued orders to provide free medical and food to Indian workers lodged in the camps apart from all civic amenities.
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Pakistanis migrant workers are not the only ones stranded in Saudi Arabia without pay or their permits being renewed.
