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.



Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.

Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.

Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.

An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.

The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.

A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.

Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."

"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.

"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.

A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.