Telangana Gulf returnee migrant workers paid hotel charges of up to Rs.10 Crore (Rs.100 Million) and airfares of up to Rs 40 Crore (Rs.400 Million)
The central government and state government are trading millions of rupees on Gulf workers during the Corona crisis.
The President of Emigrants Welfare Forum, Hyderabad Mr. Bheem Reddy Mandha today has stated that the Government of India has launched the Vande Bharat Mission on 07.05.2020 to repatriate Indians stranded abroad due to the Corona Crisis. An estimated 20,000 migrants have arrived at Hyderabad Airport from the Gulf countries since then. The Telangana government has provided free quarantine to about 5,500 of them. The government has withdrawn the free quarantine facility on the pretext that it is not possible to follow the social distance in quarantine centers. About 14,500 were paid Rs.8,000 per person a cumulative amount of Rs.10 Crore (Rs.100 Million) as hotel quarantine charges were collected.
He said that Flights to Hyderabad from the Gulf countries of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain are charging an average of1,000 UAE Dirhams, Saudi / Qatari Riyals (Approximately Rs. 20,000). By this calculation, 20,000 migrants have paid Rs.20,000 per person a cumulative amount of Rs.40 Crore (Rs.400 million) and got the air tickets and returned to the home. As chartered flights from the Gulf to Hyderabad are more costly than Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) flights.
He said that the Governments of Kerala and Maharashtra are allowing the ‘Home Quarantine’ for the passengers coming from abroad. The governments of Andhra Pradesh and Delhi are providing paid hotel quarantine as well as free quarantine to the poor migrant workers who are coming from the Gulf region. and demands the Govt of Telangana to allow for home quarantine similarly on the model of Kerala and Maharashtra.
He further adds that as per Official information he had obtained, as on 13.08.2020: Under VBM 46,488 Passengers have arrived in Hyderabad Airport by 285 flights from 30 countries. So far, The Govt of Telangana provided a free quarantine facility for 5,353 Gulf returnee migrant workers who came from the Gulf region and the free facility withdrawn subsequently.
