Dubai crisis to affect NRIs from AP

[kingmakers]

The families and dependants of Non-Resident Indians from the state working in Dubai are very worried about the debt repayment crisis in the emirate. Around 30,000 people from the state, who are mainly employed in the construction sector, are at risk of losing their jobs. Many civil engineers, architects, project managers, semi-skilled and unskilled workers, working in Dubai remit money back home which is the main source of income for families hailing from Karimnagar, Warangal, Nizamabad, East Godavari and Vizianagaram districts.

“My brother Saleem, working in Dubai, sends Rs 20,000 a month. We were able to clear all our debts and perform our sister’s marriage due to that. However, we are worried about him losing his job,” said Mr Mohammad Shakeel, who runs a watch shop in Vizianagaram.

The minister for NRI affairs, Mr D. Sridhar Babu, said the state government would send a team of officials to Dubai to assess the situation. “The government is also equally worried about the financial crisis in Dubai. First of all, we have to check whether the companies in which AP people are working are affected or not by the financial crisis. The state will take effective steps to help them.”Some leaders opined that the government should organise camps for people who return from Dubai and give them jobs in the local construction companies