DOHA: The Indian embassy received 291 labour-related complaints from Indian workers last month, an embassy statement said yesterday, without giving details and nature of grievances.
The embassy’s community welfare section received 3,558 labour complaints in 2013 and 3,385 the previous year, said the statement.
However, details like how many complaints were taken up for redressal were not provided.
Some 72 Indians were in the central prison and 140 at the deportation centres last week, the mission said. An embassy team visited the facilities to enquire about the welfare of the detainees.
The death toll in the Indian community in 2013 was 241, according to the embassy. The number of deaths recorded in the community in 2012 was 237.
On the basis of requests received from Qatari authorities for travel documents for detainees at the deportation centre, the embassy issued 25 emergency certificates last month.
The embassy also issued 30 air tickets in December 2013 and three last month to Indians who could not bear their travel expenses, to facilitate their deportation.
The Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) continues to assist Indian workers through welfare measures such as providing air tickets, medical treatment and financial assistance.
The ICBF is holding a medical camp in association with the Indian Doctors’ Club and Aster Medical Centre, for workers in Dukhan and Zikreet on February 7, a Friday.
The camp will be held at the premises of Galfar Al Misnad Camp at the Dukhan Safety and Service Area.
A monthly open house was held at the embassy yesterday and ICBF President, Kareem Abdulla, Ambassador Sanjiv Arora and other officials of the embassy met complainants and discussed their problems.
They assured them that the embassy would follow up their cases with Qatari authorities, the statement said.
The ICBF functions under the aegis of the embassy.
The Peninsula
