Sheikh to set up additional suggestion box to interact closely with community

JEDDAH — Indian Consul General Md. Noor Rahman Sheikh, in a proactive move, said that an additional suggestion box would be set up at the reception area for any suggestion/feedback for closer interaction of community members with him and the consulate officials. He took this action following a suggestion from a community member, who followed up on the consul general’s reiteration of closely working with community members on every issue, during a meeting of prominent Indian community members on Sunday at the consulate premises. The meeting was organized to reach out to the Indian community members with the aim to seek suggestions from the community for redressal of grievances and steps to be taken for quick delivery of consular services. “We thank the community members for their continued support, whenever we have called upon them, and we would like to further develop this through continued interaction and any help I, or my consuls, can provide to you’ll,” Sheikh said at the outset of the meeting. He also recapped that the Consulate General of India will organize an open forum to correct the errors and anomalies in passports. “Indian expatriates will have the opportunity to correct the errors that happened in their passports during the past five years,” Sheikh said, adding that “My consular team and I will be available for this at the forum. And most probably we would keep it on a Saturday, so many can benefit.” The consul general, in addition to the Open House sessions and direct meetings with the Indian community, will be opening up one more avenue for the Indian community members to reach out to him. Following a suggestion, Sheikh said, he would be setting up an e-link on the consulate’s website for a direct e-reach. The suggestion was an additional route to connectivity for people in distant areas of the western region that is under his authority. “We will be considering this and set up a link soon for people to reach out to us — sending us suggestions, grievances or simple feedbacks,” Consul General Sheikh said. At the meeting, various issues related to the community were discussed. The consul general also briefed the community members about the e-migrate system, which is in place for registration of workers, housemaids etc. visiting Saudi Arabia for employment. He also conveyed to all present the highest priority that the government of India attaches in extending services to the community members with fullest transparency. On a suggestion for conducting a job fair at the consulate premises for the community, the consul general stated, “This idea would be explored further.” Many suggestions for the consulate’s help in getting extensions of time for cultural programs were tabled, to which the consul general said, “We need to follow the laws of the land and we have always adhered to that.” On requests for the consulate’s help on permissions, he asked the community members to plan well ahead to avoid last-minute hiccups. “Apply 3 to 4 months in advance for permission of any event to avoid last-minute cancelations. Normally the time needed for permissions is about 2 months,” he said. Consul General Sheikh restated to the members to continue to follow the local regulations. ”Indian nationals are known for their hard work, law abiding and peaceful nature and we need to keep up this image.”