Will ask Telugus in Gulf to return: KCR

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister of Telangana K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday announced that he would visit Gulf countries and ask people of the state staying there to return home.

Interacting with senior officers on the issue of migrant workers being exploited in the Gulf, the CM said since there are ample opportunities within the state after the formation of Telangana, all migrants from TS can return home and find gainful employment. He said, “People from erstwhile Karimnagar, Nizamabad and other districts have migrated to the Gulf for employment, so as to support their families back home. They are eking out a livelihood by doing odd jobs. Several construction projects are coming up in Hyderabad. Since there is no availability of workforce, workers are being mobilised from other places.”

In view of this, Mr Rao felt if migrant workers from the Gulf return, the government would impart training to them at the National Academy of Construction. They can then be provided employment in the infrastructure sector after discussions with builders and real estate businessmen.

The Chief Minister said, “I am going there (the Gulf) to personally explain this to employees from Telangana working there.” He would also be meeting MLAs from whose constituencies a large number of people have migrated to the Gulf.

Interacting with senior officers, Mr Rao also announced that a delegation led by Chief Adviser Rajiv Sharma, comprising Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi, Chief Minister’s Office Principal Secre-tary S. Narsing Rao, and General Administration Department Principal Secretary Adhar Sinha would be visiting Kerala to study its NRI policy.

The Telangana Migrant Workers’ Union has urged the CM not to further delay implementation of the NRI policy, whose finalisation is pending with the government. Union president M. Bhim Reddy in a statement said that since the past five years, 1,261 migrant workers from Telangana state have died in Gulf countries. The government had promised Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia to families of every deceased person. But the sum has not yet been paid, he regretted.