Act against erring travel agents, MP Seechewal in House

Rajya Sabha MP and environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal raised the issue of Punjab's youngsters getting duped by travel agents today in Parliament. He put across the points concerning the exploitation by the travel agents in trafficking innocent people to foreign countries.

"Punjab's youngsters are getting duped by the travel agents and they are suffering in US, Russia, Armenia jails," he said.

He strongly condemned the US practice of sending Indians back in shackles.

"Only the family members of those stuck in other countries know the pain they go through," said the MP.

He also talked about the women who suffer in Arabian countries and those who endure years of inhumane treatment in these countries.

Recently, a woman, who returned from Oman, had shared that she had gone to Muscat two years ago in search of a better future, however, on expiration of her visa, she discovered that she had not been sent to work, but had been sold into forced labour. She described severe physical and mental abuse at the hands of those who bought her, including physical violence and threats.

Seechewal also requested the Central Government to take strict action against the travel agents.

The MP always stands up with those in trouble. He had recently written a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs to provide assistance for a family member keen to travel to Moscow to know the whereabouts of his brother stuck in Russia.

In the letter, the MP stated, “Concerned and distressed, the families have repeatedly approached officials in the ministry for assistance. Now, they wish to travel to Moscow to search for their missing relatives and gather information about their whereabouts. We request that assistance be provided to these family members upon their arrival in Moscow so that they can trace their missing loved ones.”