Hyderabad: Stressing that many workers from Telangana fly to Middle East countries in search of livelihood, Congress MLC T Jeevan Reddy appealed to the State government to set up a welfare board for gulf workers on the likes of Kerala government.
About 10 percent of unemployed youth from the State travel to gulf countries in search of jobs. Most of these people travel to gulf countries leaving their family here and at times succumb to mental illness and other health issues, besides committing suicide, he said in a letter to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy here on Tuesday.
These gulf workers contribute a lot to the State government through their savings. In return, the State government does not extend any financial assistance to these workers and their family members, he pointed out.
The State government should extend Rs.5 lakh financial assistance to the workers in case of deaths. Likewise, workers, who return to the State, should be provided assistance under self employment schemes, besides according priority in allotment of houses under housing programme and admissions for their children in residential schools, he demanded.
“The State government should also set up an exclusive welfare board for gulf workers as done in Kerala,” Jeevan Reddy appealed.