HYDERABAD: Telangana migrants in various Gulf countries observed ‘Gulf Bharosa Deeksha’ (Gulf Assurance Initiative) on Friday, demanding that the Centre and State government bare their repatriation expenses. “Our workers in the Gulf sat in rooms in their labour camps, wearing black badges and black clothing.
They participated in the ‘Gulf Bharosa Deeksha’ in accordance with the local laws and lockdown regulations,” Guggilla Ravi Goud, convenor of the Telangana Gulf Workers Joint Action Committee (JAC) which spearheaded the protest, said.
Gulf returnees and their families in Telangana also participated in the Deeksha and declared solidarity. Goud said the Centre should bear the flight cost, or it should split the expenses with the State governments. The cost of medical testing and 14-day quarantine on arrival in India should be borne by the Telangana government.
He said while the Centre was using the foreign exchange sent by NRIs to buy fuel, the Telangana government was benefiting Rs 2,500 crore per annum in the form of local taxes from foreign remittances spent by the Gulf migrant families. Bheem Reddy Mandha, president of the Emigrants Welfare Forum, also responded the call of Gulf JAC and participated in a live discussion of the Zindagi Images Facebook group on the issue of ‘Vande Bharat Mission & Operation Samudra Setu’.