Panel tells govt to implement free-visa, free-ticket scheme

Published On: June 13, 2016 05:35 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, June 12: The International Relations and Labor Committee of Parliament on Sunday directed the government to ensure effective implementation of free-visa and free-ticket scheme.

Though the free-visa, free-ticket scheme was announced by the government in June 2015, migrant workers are still forced to pay around Rs 80,000 to manpower agencies to go to Gulf countries, committee’s chairman Prabhu Sah said, adding that the government has been unable to take action against manpower agencies that illegally charged money to migrant workers.

It is a fact that migrant workers do not register complaints with the government agencies fearing loss of job, he informed. “The Ministry of Labor and Employment and the Department Of Foreign Employment need to start monitoring manpower agencies to ensure that the agencies are not cheating foreign job aspirants.”

He further said that the job advertisements by manpower agencies do not provide adequate information about the jobs. “The advertisements should include every details of the job such as salary, work station and other facilities,” he said, adding that most of the manpower agencies do not include all the details in their adverts.

Earlier, the committee on Friday had directed the government to make necessary arrangement for bringing home several migrant workers, who are in coma in various hospitals in the Gulf.

Nepali migrant workers have been admitted to various hospitals in the Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, stated the committee.

After receiving complaints from family members, the government had formed a seven-member taskforce led by joint secretary at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ramesh Khanal to prepare a report on the status of migrant workers undergoing treatment at hospitals abroad.

The report prepared by the taskforce said at least 16 Nepali workers are in coma in various hospitals abroad. The committee has recommended setting up a rehabilitation center for the migrant workers. The government, however, has not taken any concrete action to this regard. “It is impossible to bring them home without full cooperation from the countries concerned,” the committee members said.