Legal help, insurance, Passport Seva to Indian immigrants in 800 Post offices: Centre

Union Minister for State for External Affairs General VK Singh today appealed to Indian Immigrants to essentially register their details in the E Migrate portal of the Centre to get timely help and legal or any other services when facing problem abroad. The Centre was considering offering insurance cover to natural death of overseas workers, he announced to launch pass port centers in more than 800 post offices across the country to ease the foreign traffic get speedy services, he added.

The Union Minister was addressing as the Chief guest at the First Ministry of External Affairs – State Outreach Program launched by the Ministry of External Affairs and Government of Telangana at HICC today along with IT and external affairs Minister KT Rama Rao and others. The program discussed on the issues pertaining to welfare, passports, protection and safety of Indians working in various foreign countries. Singh said that NRIs facing problems with regard to Insurance, Fake Agents, Protection, welfare and also to bring back the dead bodies. He said that no country in the world has changed their Visa Policy against India, including that of United States of America (USA).

The Union Minister instructed DGP Anurag Sharma, who was on the dais to take stringent action against the fake agents who are duping or deceiving innocent people and putting them into trouble  as they face trouble, jail and sentence due to lack of necessary documents. He said, from Telangana 747cases booked against fake agents including 112 cases in Sircilla alone. To address the problem the Centre is planning to offer legal help to the families or victims and get back dead bodies to home states from foreign. 

USA proposed to change its Visa Policy in B1 to restrict the population of some of the other countries and it is not applicable to India as the Indians are contributing heavily for US economic growth. We have brought the issue to the notice of the USA department and same is the case with other countries like Australia and Gulf countries he maintained. He said, over 3.5 crores Indians are working abroad, they are professionals, skilled and unskilled workers and majority of the students and the foreign exchange coming from foreign country to India is over 62.7 billion USA Dollars, which is the huge amount and majority of professionals, scientists and business men are in USA and majority of the unskilled work force in the Gulf countries. He said, except LIC (Life Insurance Corporation) no other Insurancecompanies in India is paying compensation on natural death, the persons who goes abroad and do not have Insurance with LIC will not get compensation. However, the matter is under consideration and the government is working out to bring all the workers working abroad under Insurance cover.

Police should check agents

            VK Singh said that a lot of cases have come to his notice that the agents are collecting huge amount from the Haj Pilgrims and police should check the problem. The government has started “Surakshit Jayee our Prashishit jayee” program to provide skill development training to those planning to migrate for work and will also give training to them on the law of their land and complete the process. He said, that the government has proposed to start “Passport Centers” at
over 800 Post Offices in the country, present in the 86 Head Post Offices. He said that the Center will start Passport Centers wherever the States ask for the similar services. (NSS)