Large number of Indian workers met the visiting India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Dr (Gen) V K Singh to address and to seek an immediate solution for the long pending issues of unpaid salary and settlement with the company.
Minister, who was in Kuwait to discuss this issue with the Kuwaiti authorities, interacted with the workers of the company and assured that the government of India will do whatever possible to solve the issue.
Earlier Minister visited the Kharafi camp to meet the distressed workers. Evening the workers of other camps gathered at the Embassy to meet the minister. On both occasion, Minister briefed the workers about the outcome of his meeting with the Kuwaiti authorities.
Large number of workers residency with the company had expired and the company was not ready to renew the residency. This resulted in huge amount as residency fine for those workers who are not getting their salary for the past several months. Minister VK Singh said that he had taken up this point with the Kuwaiti authorities and requested the Kuwaiti government to wave of this fine and allows the Indian workers to leave the country without paying the fine as the residency expired not because of the fault of the workers. Kuwaiti side assured that the Kuwaiti government will discuss this in the cabinet to get the appropriate action.
India Government also repeatedly urged the Kuwaiti side to look into the issue of pending salary and take the legal proceeding to get the pending amount to settle the unpaid salary and pending settlement of the distressed labourers. Minister assured the workers that they had set a time line and will follow-up it on a continuous basis.
Minister also assured the people that the embassy and India government will do all arrangements for those who can go back to India regarding the air transportation and ticket. Embassy had already given air ticket to many who were able to leave the country.
Later in the evening, minister interacted with the Indian community and urged the Indian community to come forward and get in touch with the embassy to support the people in distress.
"I visited the camp and interacted with the distressed labours of Kharafi group. Many of them in these camps don’t have food to eat. I met people who don’t even have 1 dinar with them for many months," Minister said. "My appeal to the Indian community is to come forward and assist the Indian Embassy in whatever way possible to support the distressed Indians," he added.
"We understood that the issue is complex as it involves various stake holders. Kharafi group is a private company and many stake holders are involved in this. But we had given a time line to solve this issue and we will follow-up this. I am very optimistic and we will solve this issue", Minister said.