Parliamentary panel likely to take up issue of poor treatment of Indians working abroad

NEW DELHI: Amid the incidence of Indians being forced to take up low-level or even dangerous jobs abroad after being promised better quality employment, a parliamentary committee headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is likely to look into the issue covering the condition of people going overseas for work.

Sources said the Standing Committee on External Affairs in its first meeting on Monday discussed its agenda, and this issue came up for discussion. They said MPs expressed concern over the issue, with a seasoned parliamentarian referring to the recent case of some Indians being forced to work for the Russian military in its war against Ukraine after they arrived there on the promise of employment.

The government had informed Parliament in August that at least eight Indians were killed in the conflict and that it had strongly taken up the matter with Russia for their discharge and overall safety. The agenda items, sources said, are also expected to include the conflict in West Asia involving Israel and militant groups supporting the Palestinian cause, and the Bangladesh situation.

External Affairs Ministry officials are likely to brief the committee members on these matters whenever they are taken up in the panel's future meetings.