Hyderabad: Paralysed Gulf returnee struggles for medicare

Hyderabad: The Rs10 lakh accidental insurance 'Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana' (PBBY) is not being made available to poor migrant workers due to 'selfishness' of recruiting agents and negligence of officials. The PBBY was introduced by the Centre for the protection and welfare of immigrant workers.

In the latest instance, KokeniPosanna of Telangana, was forced to spend Rs 1 lakh as medical expenses, as he could not become eligible for the insurance policy.

Swadesh Parkipandla, the president of city-based Pravasi Mithra Labour Union, said, "If Posannahad gone through the e-migrate system, he could have availed of the PBBY policy.

He is eligible to get global medical coverage of up to Rs10 lakh irrespective of employer and location. The PBBY has a repatriation cover for medically unfit or premature terminated employment contract with a one-way air ticket or reimbursement. But there are a large number of workers who have been duped by fake recruiting agencies and its agents."

KokkerakaniGangajala, wife of Posanna and resident of Jaina village, Dharmapuri mandal, lodged a complaint with the Jagtial Collector on Tuesday, alleging that the operators of Gulf recruiting agency 'Karthik International' at Jagtial district headquarters was sending innocent migrant workers to Dubai on visit visas by using their government-issued licence for human trafficking.

Gangajala demanded a probe by CBI or other agencies into human trafficking of migrants in the guise of visit-cum-employment. She had also complained to the collector last year, but the police did not respond when the collector ordered the SP to investigate the issue, she claimed.

She blamed the recruiting agency operators for her husband's ill-health and losing eligibility for the insurance scheme. She said her husband was bedridden and struggling to meet medical expenses. Son Kruthik Nandan(6) and daughter Manaswini(3) were dependents.

She alleged that fake recruiters cheated her husband and sent him on a visit visa to Dubai. They converted the visa to employment after reaching Dubai. They promised but did not provide the PBBY Rs10 lakh accidental insurance policy which is mandatory for the Emigration Clearance Required passport holders.

She had also lodged complaints to the district SP, Protector-General of Emigrants (PGE) in Delhi and Protector of Emigrants (POE) in Hyderabad, both officers under the Ministry of External Affairs who control the emigration clearances and recruiting agencies.

"Fake recruiters are skipping the e-Migrate system which is a legal way of recruitment and did not get the emigration clearance from the Protector of Emigrants (POE) office in Hyderabad," said Swadesh Parkipandla.