New Delhi, May 22 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on Tuesday saide would be contacting his counterpart from Angola and would discuss the status of the Indian workers stranded in that country without jobs.
"About Angola, today in the course of the day I should be talking to their Foreign Minister and I know that 1,200 Indians, who are working for a particular company there are now jobless and I think they are looking for alternate jobs," said Krishna.
"Meanwhile, we have conveyed through our embassy that any one of those who would like to get back to India, the Government of India through the embassy will make all possible arrangements for their return," he added.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier on May 16 said the government is determined to facilitate the return of Indian workers stranded in Angola.
"As far as those workers are concerned, that should any of them want to comeback to India, the Embassy would be willing to provide them emergency certificates; so, to travel out of Angola, for any of them is not an issue. Also, I have seen reports that, some of them are starving. There is no truth in those reports, they are being provided food," said MEA official spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.
"So, there is no starvation, out there. Of course, they are in a difficult situation, and we are trying to work out with authorities on this. Right now, one of our embassy officials is in Sumbe, trying to work out with the company officials there," he added.
As for the absence of passports, Akbaruddin said that this was bound to upset the workers but assured that visas would facilitate their safe passage back home.
He also said that one worker injured in the protest against the management of the cement plant is being treated in a local hospital.
"The passports are not available with them that gives them a feeling of insecurity and that is understandable, But the visa issue is peripheral to this and let us not focus on that, there are other much more fundamental issues about their payments about some of them wanting to return, willing and trying to return and also obviously I understand one of them is injured because of the violent clashes there. He is being treated in the hospital," said Akbaruddin.
" Some of them are missing because in that police confrontation, with the police and the management, some of them perhaps left the premises. Our hope is to try and work out with the company, to try and resolve the issue amicably and assist our nationals wherever they are in distress," he added.
Reportedly, 1,200 Indians working at a cement plant in Angola were stranded in the southern African country consequent to the non-payment of their dues. (ANI)
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