Hyderabad, March 4: Advisor to Telangana Government Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Wednesday assured full support to Telugu citizens stranded in certain Middle East countries in view of the prevailing situation in the region. He said the State Government was closely monitoring developments and was coordinating with the Centre and Indian missions abroad to ensure the safety of Telangana residents.
Shabbir Ali said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had directed officials to maintain constant coordination and monitoring so that Telangana citizens living in affected West Asian countries received timely assistance. The State Government, he said, was fully committed to safeguarding the interests of its citizens working or residing abroad.
According to officials, senior representatives stationed at Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi were in continuous contact with the Ministry of External Affairs and the concerned Indian Embassies in the region. The coordination mechanism had been activated to respond quickly to any distress calls from Telangana citizens.
To assist people from the State and their families, the Telangana Government established a 24×7 Control Room at Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi. The facility was meant to provide immediate support, gather information about stranded individuals and coordinate with the relevant authorities for assistance.
Officials said the Control Room would serve as the primary point of contact for Telangana residents facing difficulties in the affected countries as well as for families seeking information about their relatives.
The following officials have been assigned to operate the round-the-clock helpline:
- Smt. Vandana Barua – +91 98719 99044
- Sri C.H. Chakravarthi – +91 99583 22143
- Sri Javed Husain – +91 99100 14749
- Sri Rakshit Naik – +91 96437 23157
Shabbir Ali said the Telangana Government stood firmly with its citizens and would take every possible step to extend support and assistance whenever required. He urged people from Telangana residing in the affected region to remain in contact with Indian embassies and also utilise the helpline established by the State Government if they required help.
Recalling his earlier experience in handling issues related to overseas workers, Shabbir Ali said the welfare of Telugus working in Gulf countries had always been a priority. During his tenure as Minister for NRI Affairs in the undivided Andhra Pradesh government, several measures were taken to address the problems faced by migrant workers in the region. He recalled that in October 2007, the then Congress Government facilitated the return of 1,241 immigrants who had been detained in the United Arab Emirates for not possessing proper documents. The government had arranged free air tickets to bring them back to India.
In another major effort in September 2008, nearly 45,000 people were brought back home from Gulf countries through coordinated efforts of the State Government and Indian missions abroad. Shabbir Ali said he had personally led a five-member delegation to study the conditions of Telugu workers in Gulf countries and had made arrangements for their safe return wherever required. As part of those efforts, around 10,000 workers were also assisted in obtaining the necessary documents at the Abu Dhabi Immigration Centre.
He said the experience gained during those initiatives helped authorities understand the challenges faced by migrant workers and ensured quicker response during emergencies.
The Advisor said the Telangana Government would continue to closely monitor the evolving situation in West Asia and would extend all possible assistance to ensure the safety and well-being of Telangana citizens living in the region. (eom)