Hyderabad: The ministry of external affairs played saviour to the 33 workers, paying the penalties imposed by the Iraq government and their flight tickets home. The state government paid for the train tickets to send them home from Delhi.
“We received the workers at Delhi airport and accommodated them at Telangana Bhavan. We have booked train tickets to their destinations and provided them Rs 1,000 per head for expenses. Till they reach their homes, the government will monitor their status,” an official said.
Some workers have already left for home, while others will set out on Tuesday. P. Basanth Kumar, spokesperson of Gulf Telangana Welfare and Cultural Association, was with the workers during their journey from Iraq to India. He said the association would take care of them till they reach their families.
“All the 33 workers rescued by the governments are from poor families. They sold gold ornaments, including their wives’ mangalsutras, to reach Iraq. They were cheated by agents who lured them with offers of salaries to the tune of Rs 40,000 and more. When I informed them on the government's intervention to bring them back to India, they started crying like children. Now, they are concerned about their future and their loans,” he said.
