External affairs minister urged to bring 60 Odias back from Kuwait
External affairs minister S Jaishankar (ANI)
BHUBANESWAR: Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Union minister of state for MSME, has urged Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar to help 60 Odias staying in Kuwait to return home on Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) flights.
Sarangi, in a letter to Jaishankar said he received a list of 60 Odias from the Bhartiya Pravasi Parishad based in Kuwait. “The workers were working in Kuwait, but due to distress arising out of loss of jobs, expiry of visa, health and family issues, they wish to return to India,” he added.
The Odias have already booked their respective air tickets under VBM to return home, but could not return due to frequent cancellations of fights. They are facing a great deal of hardship as they have already surrendered their accommodation, said Sarangi.
“I request you to kindly take up the matter with the government of Kuwait and instruct the Indian mission in Kuwait to co-ordinate in the interest of these stranded Indians,” said Sarangi.
Puspahasa Panigrahi of Kabisuryanagar in Ganjam district is working as an art teacher in Kuwait. He wants to come home because his younger brother has passed away. “We request the external affairs minister to help him to get a flight,” said Panigrahi’s wife Gayatri.
Bharthiya Pravasi Parishad, an Indian social cultural forum in Kuwait, stated these people had already booked tickets through Indian careers and had prepared to leave Kuwait, but all flights scheduled were suddenly pulled back. “These people have sold their belongings, vacated flats and sent most of their major savings back to India thinking they will be reaching home as planned,” said BPP president Sumod in a letter to Sarangi.
Now some of these people are at the mercy of their dear ones and the Government of Kuwait as most of them have their visas cancelled and are illegal migrants now. “Adding to their misery, many of these people have bad health and cannot seek proper medical care due to the invalid visas,” stated the BPP.