Hyderabad: The Telangana state government is readying a special rehabilitation package for Gulf returnees in the wake of an exodus due to the oil price slump and the Nitaqat law in Saudi Arabia.
As per government estimates, around four lakh people had been working in Gulf countries and half of them have returned over the last two years. The numbers have increased alarmingly in the last six months.
The government is planning to announce a rehabilitation package that will include providing bank-linked self-employment schemes, providing interest-free loans up to Rs 10 lakh to set up units etc. They will be given training in various skills. A special fund will also be allocated in the state’s budget for Gulf retu-rnees from next year.
Minister for NRI affairs K.T. Rama Rao, who held a marathon meeting with officials last month to take stock of the plight of workers in the Gulf, had asked them to recommend measures for the rehabilitation for Gulf returnees. Officials have examined the rehabilitation package adopted by Kerala for Gulf returnees. The reports obtained from district collectors revealed that most of the affected families were from Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Warangal and Hyderabad. On an average, each family was found to have debts ranging from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
