Riyadh: A 23-year-old man from Telangana has appealed for rescue from Saudi Arabia after he was allegedly forced to work as a shepherd in a remote desert region despite being promised a different job.
Dasari Aravind, a resident of Battu Buttam Rajpalli village in Gollapalli mandal of Jagtial district, travelled to Saudi Arabia on February 15 after securing overseas employment through a recruiting agent.
A video of Aravind describing his ordeal has gone viral on social media. In the clip, he allegedly said he was living in harsh desert conditions without proper accommodation, drinking water, electricity or salary payments.
Watch the viral video here
Rajavva submitted a petition to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy during the ‘CM Pravasi Prajavani’ programme at Praja Bhavan in Hyderabad on Friday, May 8, seeking her son’s rescue and repatriation.
According to the petition, Aravind had been promised a packing worker’s job but was instead assigned shepherd and cattle-herding work nearly 950 km from Riyadh. His mother, Dasari Rajavva, alleged that the recruiting agent collected Rs 90,000 while misleading the family about the nature of the employment.
The petition also stated that Aravind’s sponsor confiscated his Indian SIM card and deleted his WhatsApp and Facebook accounts, limiting contact with his family.
According to a press note, CM Pravasi Prajavani in-charge Dr G Chinna Reddy directed officials to take necessary action, while the matter was reportedly forwarded to Jagtial district police authorities. Telangana NRI Advisory Committee Vice Chairman Manda Bheem Reddy was present during the grievance hearing.
Meanwhile, members of the Saudi Arabia Telugu Association (SATA) extended support to Aravind after details of his ordeal surfaced online. SATA Riyadh president Srinivas Macha and his team reportedly provided grocery items and assured further assistance to the stranded worker, the association told Siasat.com.
