Repatriation: Indian workers in Qatar seek help

Nearly 80 Indian workers of an Oman-based construction company with operations in Doha have staged a demonstration in the Qatarian capital, seeking Indian embassy's help in repatriating them.

In a representation made to the embassy on Sunday, the workers, who staged a sit-in in front of the mission, said that they were hired from Mumbai and Kerala for a Qatar construction firm which transferred them to the Omani company on their arrival.

They said they were promised a minimum salary of Rs 10,000 (about QR900) at the time of recruitment.

"However, on reaching here, we were offered only QR300 to 350," the Gulf Times

quoted one of the workers as saying. Those willing to return home were prevented by company officials from doing so.

"Eighteen workers have already purchased return tickets with the money they had brought from home," said one of the workers. The Omani company has camps in Al Shahaniya and Al Khor in Qatar, said an Indian embassy official.

The Indian Community Benevolent Fund provided food to the workers and would supply provisions at their camps, a spokesman at the forum said.