Over 1,000 Punjabis stuck in Saudi Arabia, kin seek Centre''s help

Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, December 8

At least 4,000 Indian nationals are stuck in various camps of a construction company in Saudi Arabia, of whom at least 1,000 are Punjabis. 

Around 500 of them are from Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.

For the past six months, Indians working in Saudi Arabia are stuck in Riyadh, Jeddah and other cities in Saudi Arabia. The claims were made by at least 50 families of these construction workers, who are languishing in company camps sans passports and visas for the past over seven months. The families on Saturday approached state BJP general secretary Rakesh Rathour, seeking the intervention of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

They said while visas of their kin had expired, the company was neither paying them money nor issuing medical cards due to which many were suffering from various medical issues.

A video released by a group of men stuck in Jeddah and another by a Bihar resident have been shared by the families. A Punjab resident claims that 4,000 Indian nationals are stuck in various cities of Saudi Arabia, of whom many are Punjabis.

Dharamveer Singh, brother of one Avtar Singh, who went to Riaydh in 2013, says, "My brother went to work with a construction company in Saudi Arabia but has been relieved for the past six to seven months there without visa and passport. With the company shutting operations, thousands of Indian workers are stranded in the company camp. They haven't been paid salaries for the past six months nor do they have identity cards or medical cards. There are reports that many are ailing. They are given four rotis and some rice every day. We request the Union Government to bring them back at the earliest."

As per Sandeep Kumar, brother-in-law of Ramesh Lal (37) who is in Saudi Arabia since 2011, "He had come back several months ago after a very sick co-worker had to be brought back. But, his salaries were pending so he had to go back. Now he is stuck there without passport. I had also worked for the same company until a year ago but sensing the situation, I had come back. We just want him to come back."

While both the state BJP unit leaders and Uttar Pradesh BJP unit co-in charge Rameshwar Chaurasiya (who was approached by families of Bihar) have already approached the Ministry of External Affairs, the party functionaries said they were working to arrange their meeting in Delhi soon.

BJP state general secretary Rakesh Rathour said, "The Punjab BJP is committed to bringing back all Indians and Punjabis stuck in Saudi Arabia. BJP national secretary RP Singh and state president Shwait Malik are already coordinating on the issue. We expect to arrange a meeting of the families with the Eternal Affairs Ministry soon."