Hyderabad: With as many as 14 lakh workers from Telangana employed in the Gulf and other Middle Eastern countries, the state is yet to establish a fully-fledged official mechanism to address their issues.While some initial steps have been taken, they are not comparable to the comprehensive systems in place in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, which are equipped to respond promptly to needs of their diaspora, wherever they may be.Two-year deadlineOn April 10, the state govt formed anNRI Advisory Committeewith former Ambassador Dr BM Vinod Kumar as Chairman. The committee has been granted two years to conduct a thorough study of the problems faced by the diaspora and to propose appropriate solutions. Although the committee has not yet scheduled its first official meeting, members have already met with chief minister A Revanth Reddy and recommended the formal establishment of a Gulf Board. This board would be on par with similar bodies in AP, Kerala, and Punjab, where robust systems are already operational.Dr Vinod, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, had previously served as India’s ambassador to Algeria and as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) before his retirement.”While in the MEA, I also handled issues concerning Indian workers in the Gulf. Although the state govt has given us two years to come up with our recommendations, we hope to present a clear direction sooner than expected,” he stated.Until recently, workers from Telangana experiencing difficulties in Gulf countries had no clear point of contact. Many resorted to making videos in the hope that their appeals would reach the authorities. In cases where families had political connections, those leaders would intervene on their behalf. Now, however, the Pravasi Praja Vani, held twice weekly in Hyderabad, provides a platform for families to approach the govt directly.”Under this system, pleas are addressed promptly, and letters are sent to embassies or NGOs to provide the necessary assistance. However, going forward, we would like to see a help desk established in every district so people are not required to travel all the way to Hyderabad to submit their petitions,” said Dr Vinod. Following the Congress party’s rise to power in Telangana, the state began offering an ex gratia payment of 5 lakh each to families of Gulf workers who died abroad, regardless of the cause of death. To date, 165 families have received this compensation.Legal aidNonetheless, much more remains to be done. For instance, Gulf-based organisations and volunteers believe legal aid should be made available to workers who find themselves imprisoned. “In some cases, there are false allegations, or a worker becomes an undocumented migrant after their visa expires. These individuals need legal support,” said Dr Vinod. Providing assistance to hospitalised workers is another area that organisations believe the govt should address. One of the immediate measures being considered is offering school admissions in govt residential institutions to the children of Gulf workers.During the previous BRS govt, a delegation of officials, including chief secretary Somesh Kumar, special advisor Rajiv Sharma, and CMO official Narsing Rao, visited Kerala to study the mechanism there. The current Telangana committee also plans to visit Kerala, Punjab, and AP to learn from their models. Additionally, the committee may travel to Gulf countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar to interact directly with workers there.