India urges Gulf nations to facilitate return of Indian workers willing to resume work
New Delhi: India on Tuesday urged the Gulf countries to facilitate the return of Indian workers and professionals who are now eager to resume their work following the easing of coronavirus-related restrictions.
The issue figured at a virtual meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a leading regional organization comprising almost all Arab countries.
In the meeting, Jaishankar assured the Gulf nations on continuing the supply of food, medicines, and essential items from India.
The Ministry of External Affairs said Jaishankar thanked the GCC countries for taking care of the large Indian diaspora during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The External Affairs Minister mentioned that a large number of Indian workers and professionals are now eager to return to the GCC countries to resume their work.
"He urged the GCC leadership to facilitate their return through sustainable travel bubble arrangements with India," the MEA said.
Thousands of Indians had returned home from the Gulf region in the last few months following the coronavirus pandemic.
The MEA said the leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.
While the Indian delegation was led by Jaishankar, the GCC was represented by Secretary-General of GCC Nayef Falah M Al-Hajraf, Foreign Minister of Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and Foreign Minister of UAE Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash.
Senior representatives from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar also participated in the meeting.
"They agreed that the India-GCC partnership in political, economic, and other domains would be further strengthened. The GCC welcomed India's inclusion in the UNSC as a non-permanent member from January 2021," the MEA said.
"Both sides affirmed their commitment to reform multilateral institutions to reflect the realities of the 21st century and to work together to address contemporary challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, sustainable development, and terrorism," it added.
In a series of tweets, Jaishankar said that continuing the flow of food, medicines and essential items were assured to the Gulf region.
The MEA said Jaishankar also apprised the GCC leaders about the progress made by India in vaccine development as well as in the development and manufacturing of diagnostic and other equipment related to COVID-19.
"Both sides reaffirmed that they will continue to work together to tackle COVID-19 situation," it said.
Jaishankar also apprised the GCC leaders of the improving situation in India, both on the health and the economic side.
He hoped for an early return to trade normalcy between India and the GCC.
India had ensured that the supply chains from India to the Gulf were not disrupted despite the lockdowns during the pandemic.
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Min. Priyank Kharge to expresses concern over implementation of VB-G Ram G
Bengaluru: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the proposed VB-G Ram G scheme, stating that the MNREGA programme, which has been a lifeline for rural India for nearly two decades, appears to be facing an uncertain future.
Speaking to media, Kharge said that as March 31 draws to a close, there is no clarity on the rollout of the new scheme from April 1. He pointed out that the central government has not yet issued the necessary guidelines for implementing the scheme for rural workers and villages.
He criticised the Centre for its lack of preparedness, stating that there is no clarity on fund allocation, no final parameters for classifying gram panchayats, and key processes such as social audits have not been defined.
Kharge said the situation comes at a critical time, as summer marks a peak period for rural employment demand, when many people depend heavily on wage employment for their livelihood.
He added that reports have emerged of delays in approvals and families not receiving work despite demand.
He further alleged that the Centre’s move to shift from a statutory employment guarantee to a rule-based allocation system is already showing negative consequences.
Kharge also raised concerns over provisions such as a mandatory 60-day halt during agricultural seasons, which he said would further limit employment opportunities for rural workers.
The BJP-led central government had claimed that the new scheme would transform rural India, but in reality it is turning out to be detrimental to people’s livelihoods, he said.
“The crisis in rural India due to the stalling of MNREGA is beginning to unfold. Given the Centre’s past record in handling such situations, there is growing concern over the impact on rural livelihoods,” Kharge said.
