India, Kuwait sign MoU for cooperation on recruitment of domestic workers
Kuwait City: India and Kuwait have signed an MoU that brings Indian domestic workers in the Gulf nation within the ambit of a legal framework that streamlines their recruitment and provides them with the protection of the law.
The MoU was signed on Thursday by Indian Ambassador Sibi George and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait Majdi Ahmad Al-Dhafiri in the presence of visiting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah.
Jaishankar arrived here on his first bilateral visit to the oil-rich Gulf nation early on Thursday, according to a press release issued by the Indian Embassy here.
The MoU brings the Indian domestic workers in Kuwait within the ambit of a legal framework that streamlines their recruitment and provides them with the protection of the law.
Both ministers welcomed the signing of the MoU which will introduce an employment contract ensuring the rights and obligations of both the employer and the domestic workers.
The MoU seeks to establish a mechanism for 24-hour assistance to domestic workers. It provides for the establishment of a joint committee for periodic review and assessment and to follow up the implementation of the MoU which will conduct annual meetings.
Around one million (ten lakh) Indians reside in Kuwait. India is amongst the largest trading partners of Kuwait and the Gulf nation is a major supplier of oil to India.
Jaishankar on Thursday called on Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
He handed over to him a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed to Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
The visiting minister thanked the leadership for Kuwait's prompt supply of liquid medical oxygen and other oxygen-related supplies to India to fight the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Both sides discussed the state of bilateral relations and also the developments in the region.
Jaishankar's visit comes at the invitation of his Kuwaiti counterpart and is part of the enhanced high-level political exchanges in the context of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Kuwait.
The visiting minister held talks with his counterpart Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah.
Both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional developments and global issues.
They also discussed the challenges posed by the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, the distress it caused to humanity and reiterated their commitment to jointly fight the pandemic and address the myriad of issues that their citizens face such as travel restrictions and issues related to vaccination.
The topics covered also included food security, cybersecurity, cooperation in the energy sector and issues related to the Indian workforce in Kuwait.
Both sides agreed to hold the first India-Kuwait Joint Commission meeting later this year and also to set dates for early meetings of the Joint Working Groups on health, hydrocarbon and manpower. The two sides also agreed to set up new joint working groups in other areas of cooperation.
The joint celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Kuwait were launched at the meeting.
The year-long celebrations will continue through 2021-2022. In the evening, Jaishankar chaired a round-table conference of Indian ambassadors in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Iran.
The GCC is a political and economic alliance of six countries Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.
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Chamoli hydropower tunnel train collision: 88 injured, magisterial probe ordered
Gopeshwar/Dehradun (PTI): Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar on Wednesday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the collision between two loco trains inside the Pipalkoti tunnel of the under-construction Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydropower project, which left 88 people injured.
Earlier in the day, Kumar said that the accident occurred around 8.30 pm on Tuesday at the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) site inside the tunnel being built by THDC (India).
A loco train carrying workers for tunnel excavation during the night shift was about two kilometres inside the tunnel when another loco train coming from the opposite direction lost control and collided with it.
One of the trains had workers and officials on board, while the other carried material.
Upon receiving information about the collision, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered proper treatment for the injured. He spoke to the DM over the phone and instructed him to ensure that all the injured receive the best possible medical facilities.
DM Kumar and Superintendent of Police Surjit Singh Panwar met the injured at the Gopeshwar District Hospital.
Kumar said 109 people were on board the loco train at the time of the accident, most of them labourers. None of the injured was serious, he said.
He said that 88 of them were injured, although none of them are in serious condition. They said that 84 workers were discharged after receiving first aid, while four are still hospitalized.
DM Kumar and SP Panwar also inspected the project site and sought detailed information about the incident from the project officials.
They instructed them to strictly implement all necessary safety standards to prevent a recurrence of such an incident in the future.
After inspection, the DM issued orders for a magisterial inquiry into the accident caused by the collision of the loco trains.
Meanwhile, the Railways said the trains involved in the collision had no connection with it.
"It is clarified that this unfortunate incident occurred in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, involving a trolley used in the local transportation system during the construction of a hydroelectric project tunnel. The train referred to in the news reports is not an Indian Railways train, but a transportation system being used locally by the project team," the government entity said in a statement.
According to officials, rail-like vehicles are used to transport workers, employees, and materials for construction work inside the tunnel.
The project, being built between Helang and Pipalkoti on the Alaknanda River, will generate 444 megawatts of electricity through four turbines. The project is targeted for completion by next year.
