PUNE: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will set up a special kiosk at the departure area of all international airports including Pune airport, based at Lohegaon. The kiosks will be opened to assist emigrants who wants to clear their last minute problems including those about their employers abroad before boarding their flights. The facility will be started from next year in a phased manner.
Dr Dnyaneshwar Mulay, Secretary, Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV division), in the External Affairs Ministry, told Sakal Times on Saturday. He was in Pune for an event organised by Symbiosis International University.
Dr Dnyaneshwar Mulay, said, “As a first step, such kiosks, a last chance for emigrants to clear doubts their employers and matters including their contract, will be first opened at five international airports including Mumbai, New Delhi, Kochi and Bengaluru international airports. We have plans in the near future to open kiosks at international airports for providing guidance and consultations to the potential emigrants.”
The Pune airport is one of the busiest airports and several passengers from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and other states travel to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for employment. The airport will get such a kiosk after the completion of the first phase, after the aforementioned five airports get such kiosks.
He said sometimes, it was seen that emigrants are in a confused state before boarding their flights.
The kiosks to be opened at the international airports would be a kind of guidance, resource and assistance centre. “The emigrants will get guidance from the kiosks on any doubts they might have, including about their employer and validity of their contract,” Mulay said.
“There are large number of people, other than blue collar workers, who are also going abroad. Hence, the idea in the new immigration bill is to see where we lack in terms of taking care of our Indian citizens abroad,” Mulay said.
He informed that consultations were held recently in New Delhi with recruiting agents, academicians, and various United Nations (UN) agencies as part of preparing the draft bill to replace the existing law.
“If they have any last minute problems, any last minute advice that they wanted to seek, will also be available to them before their departure at the departure area,”Dr Dnyaneshwar Mulay added.
POPSK IN CHANDRAPUR
Muley will also inaugurate Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) in Chandrapur. This will be the 17th centre in Maharashtra and 238 across the country. Chandrapur will be second centre in Vidharbha after Wardha, later Amravati will have a POPSK soon.
