The Congress has demanded that the State government bring back stranded Gulf labour free of cost, not just on humanitarian grounds but also due to ₹1,500 crore worth of foreign exchange remitted to Telangana from the Gulf workforce.
At a press conference here, AICC spokesperson Dasoju Sravan said figures with the Central government reveal that there are about 12 to 15 lakh workers from Telangana in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. If not all, people who have lost employment due to the present crisis might want to return home and the government should pay for their air fare.
Mr. Sravan welcomed the Centre’s efforts to arrange for flights but it was unfair to charge fare as the workers are already in a vulnerable situation without income. He suggested that the Telangana government persuade the Central government to pay for the flight charges. He also requested the government to make sure that after returning to Telangana, these workers be given ‘Return, Resettlement and Rehabilitation’ package to help them settle in their native places with dignity and have a decent quality of life.
He said TPCC NRI Cell convener Nangi Devender Reddy has written an open letter to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao requesting him to address the issue of Gulf workers.
