An open letter to Vayalar Ravi Minister of overseas
Indian affairs from KV Shamsudheen, (For Pravasi Bandhu
Welfare Trust).
We NRIs in UAE were expecting you to meet and present
various issues faced by NRIs in this region. The last
movement cancellation of your visit disappointed all
of us. NRIs from GCC countries are remitting daily
more than Rs. 100 crore to India. Sixty percent of
this remittance is from low and middle income NRI
workers from GCC countries, so this Diaspora has a
significant roll in the nation building.
1 Control Recruiting Agencies:
Thousand of job seekers are fell into the trap of
recruiting agencies daily. Many job seekers are paying
hefty service charge starting from Rs 50,000 to Rs.
1.5 lakhs for foreign jobs. At last they are not getting
job when they reach abroad. The ministry must stop
this and bring a legislation to punish such criminals
in Indian and black list Indians involve such activities
aboard.
2 Trafficking of Girls for Immoral Activities:
Involvement of Indian girls in immoral activates
became daily issue in GCC countries. There should
be strict measures too stop such Trafficking girls
for immoral activities.
3 Minimum Wage:
The recruiting agents exploit skilled Indian labour
forces by paying very low salary and pathetic living
conditions. Now the salary given to many skilled labours
are much less than what they get in India. There must
be a minimum salary for getting job abroad. Thousands
of workers are under depression and brink of suicide.
Last year in UAE there were 84 suicide cases. We have
taken up an initiative to solve this problem called
"Sandwanam".
4 Media Campaign:
We request to conduct an awareness campaign through
media to stop various exploitations of job seekers
abroad under Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.
When Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust conducted a survey
among low and middle income NRIs from GCC countries,
we find out that only 2% is saving from the remittance
to India. Another finding is even 98% of the participants
had agreed that after they became NRIs their families'
life style have improved, only 5% agreed that when
they return back they can lead a comfortable life.
It is an alarming issue, we realized that the only
solution for critical situation is cultivation saving
and productive investment habit among these NRIs.
We are organising educational classes to create awareness
on this subject.
5 A Systematic Investment Plan:
We have being suggesting to Finance Ministry to introduce
a Systematic Investment Scheme for NRIs. We could
not see any such proposal in the budget. Presently
more than 90 % of the remittance is spent by the dependents
of NRIs back home. If government initiate to develop
exclusive investment scheme it will help to invest
something from the earning and will create wealth
for the time of return back to India. Today 95% low
and middle income NRIs from GCC countries facing problem
to live when they return back after many years stay
abroad.
Securities Exchange Board of India had given approval
for a tailor made mutual fund to JM Mutual Fund to
introduce an exclusive fund called JM Pravasi Bandhu
Fund with our request two years back. The fund house
also kept quite after getting the approval. We request
the Finance Ministry to introduce an investment plan
at the earliest to attract low and middle income NRIs
and safe guard the retirement life of the NRIs of
this segment.
Other wise it will be very complicated issue for
the government.
6 Reservation for NRIs in IPOs:
NRIs were getting 40% reservation in the Initial
Public Offer of Indian companies. But Government had
withdrawn that facility and give that option to Foreign
Financial Institutions. That was excellent an opportunity
for NRI retail investors to invest Indian capital
market. We request the your ministry to request the
Finance Ministry to reinstate the reservation and
keep a maximum cap on investment to get investment
opportunity in Indian companies to maximum number
ordinary NRIs. We further request to provide some
reservation to NRIs as and when disinvestments take
place of Public Sector Units.
7 NRI Insurance Scheme:
This government had declared an insurance scheme
for NRIs workers, the details are not published and
the implementation is still pending. We request the
finance ministry to introduce the same at the earliest.
8 Help line in diplomatic missions for Labour
issues:
The number issues related exploitation of labours
is increasing. We request you to introduce a help-line
service in all our diplomatic missions.
We have started a n initiative to help people are
in depression and brink of suicide, which is working
very well. We request to introduce similar facilities
with experts in all diplomatic missions to help our
community members.
