Shams Ahsan
JEDDAH — Indian mission here is talking to the Saudi authorities to intervene to sort out the crisis being faced by hundreds of workers who have been rendered jobless following a massive downsizing by a leading Riyadh-based construction company.
Indian Ambassador Ahmad Javed met the Saudi authorities in this connection on Sunday, a source in Riyadh told Saudi Gazette.
Workers in Jeddah were on verge of starvation after their mess hall was locked about 10 days ago by the company. A similar crisis in Riyadh was averted by prompt intervention of the authorities who made sure that these workers at least get food.
In Jeddah the Indian consulate reached out to the community which showed an overwhelming response by arranging food distribution in five camps, three of them located in Jeddah and one each in Shumaisi and Taif.
There are a total 10,000 workers of various nationalities stranded in these camps. But the total number of Indian workers is 2,450, Indian Consul General Md. Noor Rahman Sheikh told Saudi Gazette.
“For now food requirement for one week has been taken care of. However, the process to feed them will continue till a solution is found,” he said.
Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, who has been monitoring the situation on an “hourly basis,” urged the Indian community on Sunday to help these workers.
“I appeal to 30 lakh (three million) Indians in Saudi Arabia. Please help your fellow brothers and sisters,” she tweeted.
The consul general said that most of these workers want to go home, but not without their dues and end of service benefits. These workers have not been paid for more than seven months.
The iqamas (residence permits) of many of these workers have expired. Many workers don’t have their passports in their possession as the company held their passports in violation of government instructions. They cannot get hold of their passports as the company offices are locked.
The Indian consulate is segregating the workers who have passports with them with exit visas to facilitate their departure.
