Manpower Export Promotion Council to be set up

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved setting up of a Central Manpower Export Promotion Council which will play the role of an advisory promotional body. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Law Minister Arun Jaitley said the council would have its headquarters in New Delhi and branch offices at other places in India and abroad. The body would have the labour minister as chairperson and labour secretary as vice chairperson and 18 other members appointed by the government for a five year period, he said. The protector general of emigrants would be the ex-officio member-secretary of the council. The Cabinet also approved the establishment and running of the Indian Overseas Workers'' Welfare Fund, Jaitley said. The fund would be used for arranging return ticket for workers who get stranded in foreign countries and for transport of bodies of the workers who die abroad. The fund would also be used to assist workers who become partially or permanently disabled, he said. The Emigration (Amendment) Bill, ,2002 would be introduced to amend Emigration Act, 1983, to give effect to the decision, Jaitely said.