By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Roots-Norka, a company floated by the Kerala government's department of non-resident Keralites affairs (Norka) has got a licence to streamline the recruitment of Keralite labourers to Middle East countries.
"We are aware of many people who have been duped by unscrupulous recruitment agents and now that Norka has got the licence, we will be able to streamline recruitments," chief ninister V.S. Achuthanandan said in the state assembly Wednesday while responding to a calling attention motion moved by Congress legislator C.P. Mohammed.
"The government should see that exploitation of domestic help should not happen and the condition of labour camps in the Middle East be improved," demanded Mohammed.
Achuthanandan, who also handles the NRK portfolio, said his government was coordinating with the central government and Indian embassies in Middle East countries to ease the condition of NRK labourers.
"The UAE labour minister during a visit to Kerala early this year assured that the labour laws in his country would be modified. Norka has also begun a training centre for all those going to the Middle East," he said.
The state government has taken up the issue of increasing the number of flights to the Middle East during the holiday season with the central government," Achuthanandan said.
Every year, there is a short relaxation period during the holiday season of June and July, when the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait governments ease the restriction for Keralite expatriates to leave these countries without paying penalties for not having proper travel documents.
Achuthanandan said that two Kerala government officials would travel to the two countries to help the NRKs in this regard.