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India Diaspora
India to sign labour pact with Kuwait: Ravi
Mar 31, 2007 - 5:04:36 PM

Thiruvananthapuram, March 31 - India is set to sign a labour pact with Kuwait when Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi visits the country from April 8. He will also go to Qatar as part of his trip to the Gulf region.

'In Kuwait, we will sign a labour pact similar to that India signed with UAE last year,' Ravi told reporters here Saturday.

The minister will be in Kuwait for three days and then move on to Qatar, another country India hopes to sign a labour agreement with.

'I will be meeting ministers in both these countries. But in Qatar, the final agreement can be signed only later because there are some issues to be sorted out,' Ravi noted.

He added that similar pacts would also be signed with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman.

Asked about the impact of the labour agreement with UAE, Ravi said Indian labourers there were now in a better position than before.

'According to the pact, salary has to be paid through a bank. Further, medical insurance has to be borne by the employer and more importantly all labourers get a smart card that contains all important information about the worker. And now there is a toll free number in all labour camps,' Ravi noted.

The minister pointed out that the scope of the labour pact would be widened in due course of time and would include unorganised workers and housemaids as well.

'We are also looking to improve the present level of insurance benefits being offered by companies to NRIs,' said Ravi.



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