Jobless youth from Telangana duped, jailed in Gulf

​Nizamabad: People hailing from Nizamabad and the neighboring districts like Nirmal, Kamareddy, Jagtiyal and Karimnagar who set out to the Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, Dubai Musqat and Iraq searching for greener pastures have been cheated.

They are languishing in jail facing immense hardships. If they have to be released, they have to cough up $ 1500 as penalty, which they can hardly afford.

In many cases, the family members do not know their whereabouts. Besides, they were taken for a ride by the Gulf agents promising them jobs and left in the lurch later. They took loans, borrowed money from various sources and paid to dubious agents to reach the Gulf countries.

Drought and unemployment in Nizamabad forced them to look for jobs in other countries. These bogus agents conducted fake interviews, selected them and sent to the Gulf countries.

Saudi Arabia is facing a severe financial crisis due to fall in crude prices and many people lost jobs, especially in the real estate sector. Also, the prevalence of the Nitaqat Act in Saudi Arabia mandates the reservation of 10 per cent jobs only for the Saudi nationals. As a result, several Indians, mainly from Nizamabad and the neighbouring districts could not find jobs.

President of Telangana Gulf Welfare Association Basant Reddy, speaking to The Hans India here on Tuesday blamed the commission agents for duping the people making false promises of providing them jobs. He said that it was the responsibility of the Central and the State governments to bring back those who were stranded in the Gulf countries and provide jobs back home.

One of the victims, Mujibuddin said that he was cheated by an agent who took Rs 1.5 lakh from him promising a job in Iraq. But after reaching the country, he could not get any job and faced immense hardships for nearly seven months.

But fortunately, he could return to his country along with 40 others with the intervention of Nizamabad MP K Kavitha and MLA Shakeel, he added. There are 500 others who are still suffering in Iraq, he added.

Another victim, Narender hailing from Bhimgal said that he was arrested in Saudi Arabia after his visa expired. He said that several Telugu families hailing from the district were still languishing in jails and appealed to the Union and the State governments to intervene and get them released. He also expressed the hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would use his good offices and get them released.

Families of such hapless victims are keeping their fingers crossed hoping that the Central government would do something to get them released and sent back.

By: Panchareddy Srikanth