Over Rs 5 cr spent on welfare of distressed workers in Dubai

    New Delhi, Jun 10, 2012:  The Indian Mission in Dubai has
spent over Rs five crore in extending help to distressed
countrymen, including housemaids and victims of trafficking,
working in the UAE in the past three years.
According to information received from Ministry of
Overseas Affairs in reply to an RTI query, about Rs 5.33 crore
of the over Rs 17 crore were collected through surcharges on
different consular services under the Indian Community Welfare
Fund (ICWF) by Consulate General of India in Dubai.
The ICWF is a fund in perpetuity (which is a collection
arising from a surcharge on every consular, passport, visa and
attestation services rendered by any India Post or Mission
overseas) meant for contingency expenditure to carry out
welfare activities.
"Total collection under ICWF (from inception) till March
31, 2012 is UAE Dirhams 1,22,92,055, equivalent to Rs
17,31,27,536.90," the reply said.
Advocate Vivek Garg had sought details of Indian
Community Welfare Community (ICWC) and ICWF, including their
activities from the Indian Mission.
About 1.3 million Indians live in Dubai and Northern
Emirates. According to the reply, 466 women, including 134
victims of trafficking, were accommodated in the women's
shelter home run by the Consulate since 2005. Of the total,
332 were housemaids, the reply said.
"Since February 2009, a total of Rs 5,33,65,548 have been
spent on stipulated welfare activities under the charter of
ICWF," it said.
The Consulate, however, declined to give further
information on the beneficiary of fund saying it would
"disproportionately divert government of India resources for
extended durations".
The almost 12-year-old ICWC is a community-led umbrella
welfare organisation whose members include Indian
associations, social groups and some Indian companies.
"The Indian Consulate offers its patronage to Indian
business associations in the Dubai and the Northern emirates,"
the RTI reply said.
The ICWF help distressed overseas Indians, besides
providing expenditure on incidentals and airlifting the mortal
remains to India in cases where the sponsor is unable or
willing to do so as per the contract and the family is unable
to meet the cost.
The collected amount is also spent on providing emergency
medical care to the needy Indians, providing air passage to
stranded countrymen and providing initial legal assistance to
them in deserving cases among others.
"The Consulate General of India, Dubai as a patron is not
the custodian of ICWC accounts, its members are. If the
petitioner can establish that Indian community bodies overseas
recognised and working under the laws of the host country are
liable for scrutiny under RTI, then we can forward your
request for the accounts of that body to it," it said when
asked to give details of fund collected under the ICWF.