Indian consulate in Dubai comes to rescue of stranded worker

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Indian consulate, Dubai, rescue, stranded worker, blue-collar worker, Sharjah
BACK TO LIFE: Rakesh Kumar duirng his destitute life in Sharjah and (right) at the airport before flying home. - Courtesy: Twitter

Rakesh Kumar, 47, came to the UAE in 2016 to work as a carpenter.

By Saman Haziq

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Published: Tue 14 Jan 2020, 10:15 PM

Last updated: Wed 15 Jan 2020, 12:18 AM

The Indian consulate has come to the rescue of a blue-collar worker who was stranded in Sharjah for almost a year after losing his job.

Rakesh Kumar, 47, came to the UAE in 2016 to work as a carpenter at a firm but fell into difficult times a couple of years later when his firm ran into financial crisis and was unable to pay salary to its employees on time. On demanding his salary, Kumar was made redundant and his employer filed an absconding case against him, which  further added to his woes.
Kumar's visa expired in 2018 and he was also asked to leave his labour accommodation, leaving him destitute with no savings and no way to sustain himself. 
Elaborating on the case, Consul-General of India Vipul told Khaleej Times: "The Indian Association of Sharjah brought Kumar's case to our notice after seeing him in a disheveled state on Sharjah roads. We took up his case and got all his paper work done. Within two weeks, he was given an outpass and flight ticket to go back home."
Vipul said the case of Kumar, who hails from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, was reported to the consulate earlier this month. He added that the consulate settled all his outstanding fees in the UAE and arranged for a safe return on January 10.
Thanking the Indian community and social workers for their vigilance and support, the Consulate-General of India tweeted through its official Twitter handle @cgidubai on Sunday: "Mr. Rakesh Kumar, who was stranded in Sharjah for the past eight months was repatriated to India on 10.1.2020. Consulate assisted in arranging exit clearance from the local authorities & air ticket to India. Thanks to social worker Mr. Gundalli Narsimha & IA, Sharjah for their efforts."
saman@khaleejtimes.com


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