9000 workers from Telangana stranded in Saudi, Minister's help sought

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali yesterday sought External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's intervention in the return of workers, from the state, stranded in Saudi Arabia after losing jobs.

The employers have abandoned these poor labourers and they are living in camps without salaries for the last 7-8 months, Ali said in a letter to Swaraj.

Of the total of 9,000 stranded Indian employees, 30% are from rural Telangana and are poor, he said.

Their relatives were pressing the Telangana government to facilitate their return to India, he said.

"Therefore I request...use all your good offices by conducting necessary deliberations with the authorities concerned in both the countries to resolve the issue at the earliest," Ali said.

With thousands of Indians left in the lurch after losing jobs due to the financial crisis in the Gulf country, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh on Tuesday night left for Saudi Arabia to work out modalities to bring back those who want to return to India.