DOHA: The number of deaths of Indians in Qatar reached its highest in August with 27 deaths, a statement by the Indian embassy in Doha said yesterday.
A total of 159 deaths have been registered with the mission until September this year and 237 deaths within 2012, said a mission in the statement issued about details discussed at the monthly ‘Open House’ held yesterday to address urgent consular and labour issues of Indian national.
However, causes for the deaths were not disclosed.
Further the Labour and Community Welfare Section of the mission has received a total of 2,565 complaints within this year, with total of 3,385 complaints in 2012 and the embassy has not revealed nature of complaints. The ambassador Sanjiv Arora and other senior officials met the complainants at the Open House, discussed their problems and have assured to follow up about the issues.
A team of officials from the embassy has visited the central prison and the deportation centre during this week to enquire about the welfare of Indian detainees.
The total number of 44 Indians are in the central prison and 212 in the deportation centre.
The Indian mission has issued seven Emergency Certificates (ECs) in August, and three in September upon requests by the Qatari authorities for travel documents for inmates in the deportation centre. The mission also issued five air tickets to Indian nationals for their return to home country in August.
Kareem Abdulla, President of Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF), a community association working under the aegis of the Embassy, for the welfare of Indian workers, and another ICBF member also attended the Open House. ICBF has donated 11 air tickets for destitute workers, cargo charges for transportation of one dead body, renewal of 20 air tickets, emergency certificate fees for nine people and food assistance for 16 Indians in September. The Peninsula
