Reddy vows steps to protect workers

"Every soul is important to us," said Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, referring to the high rate of suicide in the Gulf among migrant workers from the south Indian state.

"Our boys come here with the promise of good jobs. Unfortunately, the reality is very different. Some lose jobs while some come here without proper papers. Some of them take the extreme step of killing themselves in frustration. It is pathetic," he said at a function organised by Rasamayi Dubai to honour him at the Indian Consulate on Sunday. Dr Reddy was on a three-day visit to the UAE.

"Some unscrupulous agents are responsible for this," he said. "We are aware we don't have a mechanism to check this."

However, the chief minister said the NRI Cell that he had announced on May Day would look into their problems. He assured the workers their problems would be brought to the Centre's notice.

He said the NRI Cell, headed by Information Minister Mohammad Ali Shabbir, would study the initiatives, including the insurance scheme, introduced by the Kerala Government.

Exhorting the Telugu community to benefit from the opportunity provided by other countries, he said: "Our biggest asset is our human resources. I hope more of our boys and girls come and make their livelihood here."

In a tete-à-tete with Gulf News, dwelling on problems at home following the resignations by some of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) ministers from the state cabinet, Dr Reddy said, "They have resigned, let us see. I am scheduled to meet our Congress leader Sonia Gandhi after I return to Hyderabad."

On the mounting demand for a separate Telangana state, he said: "If all the political parties can come to some sort of unanimous opinion it can happen. Our party's view on this issue is very clear. Even our leader [Sonia Gandhi] is keen on this issue."

However, the problem, he said, has to be addressed by a Second State Reorganisation Committee.

When asked to reflect on his 14 months as chief minister, Dr Reddy said: "In the past 14 months we have taken up so many activities, programmes and measures in developing the state. By and large we look at them with a lot of satisfaction. All the pending irrigation projects have been taken up by our government. Even the Telugu Ganga project is all set for completion."

He said the state has been taking many initiatives in the tourism industry. "Andhra Pradesh is the most happening state for tourism," he said adding "tourist arrivals have increased substantially this year."

To another question if the Congress was losing its hold in the state to the Telugu Desam, especially after the Penugoda by-poll where Paritala Sunita won, Dr Reddy said, "Where did it [Telugu Desam] succeed. Penugonda was their seat. Their margin has reduced. In fact, we ran a very low-profile campaign there. Else the result would have been otherwise."

Earlier, addressing a press conference Dr Reddy said: "We basically came here to explore the possibilities of cooperation in new areas in addition to what is happening now. The UAE looks at India as a favoured destination for cooperation. Particularly, there is a rapport between Hyderabad and UAE."

The chief minister and his delegation including Industry Minister B. Satyanarayana, held discussions on Sunday with General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister; Mohammad Ali Al Abbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties; Mohammad Al Gargawi, CEO of Dubai Holding; and Dr Omar Sulaiman, CEO of Dubai Internet City on mutual areas of cooperation.

He said several projects were discussed with officials in Dubai including the setting up of special economic zones, developing an eight-lane, 160km ring road outside Hyderabad and a 20,000-acre Knowledge Corridor with focus on Information Technology and BPOs (business process outsourcing) and biotechnology industries.

He said the state has "introduced an attractive industrial policy wherein we have reduced power tariff by 16 paise per unit for existing industries and 75 paise concession to new industries for a period of five years. The electrical tariff is the lowest in the country."

He said the government feels duty bound to offer suitable sites at an affordable cost to anyone wanting to set up an industry in the state.

GILT EDGE
The humane side of YSR

Dr Yedugiri Sandinti Rajasekhar Reddy, popularly known as YSR, is credited with bringing back the Congress to power after nine years of Telugu Desam rule under N. Chandrababu Naidu.

But he is a simple man at heart. That was amply exhibited here on Sunday when Subba Rao, president of Rasamayi, a socio-cultural organisation in Dubai, got up to present him with a gold bracelet.

The Andhra chief minister politely refused and told Rao to instead give it to any poor Telugu worker or needy student. This gesture was received well with a round of applause at the Indian Consulate auditorium.

Telugu Sravanthi, Sharjah, also joined Rasamayi in honouring YSR.