Indian Social Forum Saudi Arabia urges Congress Party to consider Gulf NRIs in Election Manifesto
Dammam, (KSA), April 29: ‘Karnataka Ruling Party Congress’s election manifesto for the upcoming Karnataka assembly election is disappointing for many Gulf Kannadiga NRIs in the GCC country as the congress party failed to address issues of an influential community. After several promises made by the ruling party, Gulf NRI community was expecting substantial Gulf NRI welfare programs to be added on party’s Manifesto’ officials from Indian Social Forum Saudi Arabia said in a press release in Dammam.
After thoroughly scrutinizing the Congress election manifesto, Indian Social Forum issued a statement today citing Ruling party Congress must consider wellbeing of Gulf NRI community, there were numerous appeals and recommendations from NRI communities to Chief Minister, other Government representatives and officials in the recent past about Gulf Crisis.
Recent World bank report confirms, India topped the highest recipient of remittance overseas in 2017 and particularly 50% of remittance made from Indian diaspora in GCC countries; however Karnataka is also beneficiary of this remittance.
Notably NRI community from Karnataka coastal belt has been an influential community back home as there are many families, institutions dependent on Gulf NRIs remittance. In light of Gulf Job market crisis, Indian Social Forum Saudi Arabia is requesting the Congress party to revise the manifesto to include realistic welfare programs to protect the Gulf NRIs & their family’s interest. We hope such move would fetch the Congress party to gain positive impact among influential Gulf NRI community and would also be beneficial for the country’s development.
Indian Social Forum appeal The Congress party to include following points on
Election manifesto:
1- NRI Help Desk to open in Coastal Districts, Mysore, Bangalore and Gulbarga
2- Educational Quota for Gulf NRI students
3- NRI Data Bank – Statistical survey of NRI population, remittance and other statistics
4- Create online platform to raise NRI individual concerns and issues
5- Free Medical aid for Gulf Returnee
6- Assurance of Fund allocation for Gulf NRIs welfare
7- Grant Bank Loan for the aspiring Gulf returnee entrepreneurs
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kejriwal responds to EC, says water received from Haryana 'extremely poisonous' for human health
New Delhi (PTI): AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday responded to the Election Commission notice over his claim the Haryana government was "mixing poison" in Yamuna, and said raw water received from the BJP-ruled state in the recent past has been "highly contaminated and extremely poisonous" for human health.
In the 14-page reply to the Election Commission, the former Delhi chief minister said if such "toxic water" is allowed to be consumed by human population it would lead to grave health hazard and fatality.
Kejriwal said he only wanted to highlight the "urgent public health crisis" due to the quality of drinking water in the city, and he violated no law or Model Code of Conduct, hence the issue should be closed.
He said the "alleged statements" attributed to him were made as it was his public duty to red flag the "severe toxicity and contamination" of raw water received from the BJP-ruled state.
Following a complaint filed by the BJP over the matter, the Election Commission issued the notice to Kejriwal on Tuesday, giving him time till Wednesday 8 pm to furnish his reply.
Kejriwal also said the ammonia level in raw water received from Haryana was so "extreme" that water treatment plants in Delhi are unable to process and bring it down to safe and permissible limits for human consumption.
Following their party chief's response, the AAP issued a statement, saying, "It is an undisputed fact that there is 7 ppm ammonia in Yamuna water, A Delhi Jal Board CEO letter admits toxicity is 700 percent higher than the permissible limit."
In his response to the EC, Kejriwal also alleged that Haryana's "failure" in controlling pollution in Yamuna has resulted in an "unprecedented public health crisis" in Delhi. He alleged "indiscriminate" discharge of industrial waste in the river by the state.
The AAP supremo said Haryana is an upper-riparian state and Delhi, ruled by his party, has no role to play in the high level of toxic water being made available to the city.
"Due to such high level of toxic content in the raw water supplied by Haryana, the water treatment plants in Delhi are operating below capacity and there is a shortage of treated water in Delhi," he claimed.
Saying that access to clean water is a basic human right, the AAP chief asserted that raising this critical issue cannot be considered an offence.
"The said statement by no stretch of the imagination can be termed inciting enmity between different groups or prejudicial to national integration," he said.
On the contrary, the substance and purpose of these statements are rooted solely in the public interest, aimed at highlighting a legitimate civic concern that requires urgent institutional intervention, he asserted.
He requested the EC to intervene in the matter and issue appropriate directions to Haryana so safe water is made available to the people of Delhi.
