Thiruvanantapuram: The state Cabinet on Wednesday decided to depute local self-government minister K.T. Jaleel to Saudi Arabia to coordinate the return of Malayalis among the hundreds of NRIs stranded there following job loss.
The minister, accompanied by LSG special secretary V.K. Baby, will go to Saudi by Thursday or Friday. The delegation will coordinate the return of Malayalis by holding discussions with Union minister of state for external affairs V.K. Singh and Indian embassy officials.
The help of Malayali associations in the region would also be sought for the purpose. Meanwhile, the state is yet to receive any official information on the number of Malayalis stranded in Saudi Arabia, even as it was roughly estimated to be around 300.
However, many had reportedly preferred to stay back as they wanted to receive the salary dues for the past seven months as well as end of service compensation, which would be a considerable amount.
With the support of Indian embassy officials, those stranded were filing petitions with the Saudi labour officials to get the compensation from their respective employers, mainly Oger, which was one of the biggest construction firms in the region.
The embassy officials had also reportedly given forms to the stranded NRIs to confirm whether they wished to return to India or preferred to stay back.
Meanwhile, former chief minister Oommen Chandy urged external affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to explore the scope of finding new jobs in the Gulf countries for those who have lost jobs in Saudi Arabia. He suggested that a meeting of leading NRI businessmen in the Gulf countries may be convened by the centre.
