Hyderabad: The BRS manifesto has left migrants to Gulf countries, who extended their support to the statehood movement, unhappy with the ruling party’s failure to allocate or promise a separate budget for their welfare.
According to an association of migrants, around 15 lakh of 88 lakh migrants in six Gulf countries are from Telangana, who immensely contribute to the state’s revenue as they send back their earnings to their families.
BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind also highlighted the same at a public meeting, saying: “There is no mention of NRIs or Gulf ‘shramiks’ in the BRS manifesto. In 2018, this issue was ignored, and again, in 2023, this issue is ignored by the BRS government.”
A longstanding demand of the association of Gulf workers is the allocation of Rs 500 crore to help migrants who are being held as captives in prisons in foreign countries and take up their issues.
Emigrants Welfare Forum’s president Mandha Bheem Reddy said, “There are 15 lakh immigrants from this state residing in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. There could be thousands of people who must be going through hardships. These migrants are the contributors for strengthening the economy; their forex contribution to this state is approximately Rs 1,500 crore. The government should have a mechanism to help these emigrants when they are in crisis.”
Swadesh Parikipalla, president of the Pravasi Mithra Labour Union, said, “These migrants, especially in seven countries of UAE, who are pushed in to difficult situations, are helpless once they land there. Such victims have no help from state or Central government.”
“There are around 5,000 in UAE prisons; for such people, there has to be legal aide. Those who worked there for prolonged periods, when they return, fail to get employment here. Based on their trade and abilities, banks should grant loans. We are looking for a promising party that will come to our rescue,” he said.
