Nitaqat: Centre, state urged to take effective steps to help returnees

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The steps taken by the Centre and the Kerala government on the `Nitaqat' policy of the Saudi Arabian government were not effective, though the foreign country had given a reprieve to expatriates till November 3 to legalise their status, CPI-M Kerala unit secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said.

"Comparing with other countries, India is not taking adequate steps to help our citizens to legalise their work visa there before the end of the deadline," he said in a statement here.

Kerala government had not taken steps to help Malayalees working as labourers to get them registered with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh. "The government should take immediate steps to help Malayalees facing deportation," he said.

The Centre should offer free flight tickets to those who chose to return to the home country after losing jobs and the state government should arrange for their passage home from airports in Delhi and Mumbai, he said.

Vijayan wanted the state government to introduce a comprehensive rehabilitation package for returnees from the Gulf.