Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir has accused Panchayat Raj Minister K. Takarakarama Rao of shedding crocodile tears on the issue of Gulf migrants.
Addressing a press conference this afternoon at Congress Legislature Party office in Hyderabad , Shabbir Ali said that the TRS Government did not respond to the woes of Gulf migrants during the last 17 months. However, in view of Warangal by-elections, KTR enacted the drama of meeting Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj over Gulf victims on Friday. “Nearly 10 lakh people from Telangana, especially those hailing from Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Old City of Hyderabad, are working in Gulf countries and the State Government never bothered to check their status. About 12,000 of them are languishing in different prisons of Gulf countries on various charges and nearly 400 died due to different reasons. But Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao never held a review meeting on this issue and now his son is trying to express his ‘concern’ for the Gulf migrants,” he said.
Shabbir Ali reminded that the TRS, in its election manifesto, had promised to set up a separate ministry for NRI Affairs. “Many Gulf workers truly believed that TRS would do something for their welfare and also campaigned and voted for the party in 2014 elections. Instead of taking some positive measures, KCR almost scrapped NRI Department, stopped allocated funds of Rs. 3 crore, closed NAC Centres and discontinued 0.5% of irrigation funds which used to be utilised for training of youth in rural areas. KTR should be ashamed of himself for the inaction during the last 17 months,” he said.
The Congress leader said KTR’s meeting with Sushma Swaraj was only for namesake and the TRS Government was not serious on the welfare of workers who migrated to Gulf in search of livelihood. He accused KTR and Nizamabad MP Kavitha of not honoring the promises they made for Gulf victims.
Shabbir Ali said instead of trying to play politics in connivance with the Centre, the State Government can immediately create a separate ministry and start providing training. He warned of serious agitation if the State Government continues to neglect the problems of Gulf migrants.
