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Embassy’s open house a success
By rasha al qahtani
Published: 14th June 2008
MORE than 80 per cent of cases brought to the attention of the Indian Embassy after the launch of its open house have been solved, it was revealed yesterday.
The embassy had received 280 complaints at its monthly open house sessions since they began in September 2005 and 2,251 cases at its offices on weekdays, said Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty.
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Embassy’s open house a success
By rasha al qahtani
Published: 14th June 2008
MORE than 80 per cent of cases brought to the attention of the Indian Embassy after the launch of its open house have been solved, it was revealed yesterday.
The embassy had received 280 complaints at its monthly open house sessions since they began in September 2005 and 2,251 cases at its offices on weekdays, said Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty.
Speaking at yesterday’s session, he said that 251 complaints out of the 280 received at the sessions had been solved, which was almost 90pc.
“Of the 2,251 grievances received on weekdays, 1,759 have been solved, making it 78pc,” he said.
“So in aggregate the embassy has solved 80pc of the cases and that is a big achievement.”
Mr Shetty urged all Indians who are still here on free visas or have no proper documents to contact the embassy.
“They should approach the embassy and we will do all we can to assist them,” he said.
“We will try to regularise their stay or make arrangements to send them back home.”
He praised Bahrain for exempting teachers and nurses from the government’s new sponsorship rules which was announced last month and not deducting visa fees from the employees.
He said that after the amnesty period the embassy was receiving simpler and fewer grievances.
“There has been so much publicity concerning Bahrain’s labour laws that companies and expatriates are aware of them,” Mr Shetty said.
“They realise the consequences they will have to face if they break the law and so they are trying to follow them.”
“Earlier the embassy used to receive 10 to 15 phone calls per day on its emergency hotline, but now the numbers have drastically gone down.”
“Almost 30,000 Indians made use of the amnesty period either by regularising their stay or going back to India.”
Mr Shetty pledged to take action against people who still deal in the free visa market by either selling or buying visas.
“If such cases come to the notice of the embassy, they will be referred to the local authorities,” he said.
“We plan to give wider publicity in India about Bahrain’s labour laws and spread the word that no one has to pay any money for their visa to anyone including middle men and sponsors.”
He said that 2,279 passports remained unclaimed at the embassy.
“We had earlier given a deadline of June 15 for them to be claimed, but we have now extended it to July 31,” he said.
“If they are not claimed by then, we will return them to the authorities in India who will cancel them.”
Twenty cases were heard at the open house attended by embassy officials, Indian Community Relief Fund staff, social workers and media personnel.
They included non-payment of salaries, physical abuse cases, and free visa workers who did not make use of the amnesty period.
The next open house will be held on July 4.
rasha@gdn.com.bh
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