'Go to Gulf with rights' campaign to help expats

July 22, 2014

New Delhi, Jul 22: In a bid to prevent human rights violations among Indian migrant workers in the Gulf region, Amnesty International India and UAE Exchange India have launched a "Go to Gulf with rights" campaign.

The awareness campaign will provide information about migrant workers' rights under Indian and international law, legally authoriZed channels for migration, pre-departure training programmes, and the risks of irregular migration, an Amnesty International statement said.

Migrant workers and their families will also be able to access information about support systems in destination countries, and details of Indian embassies and NGOs that can provide assistance.

"Migrant workers who travel to the Gulf can face exploitation even before leaving home. They are known to be charged excessive recruitment fees and deceived about their contracts, leaving them more vulnerable to human rights abuses in the Gulf, including human trafficking and forced labour," G. Ananthapadmanabhan, chief executive of Amnesty International India, said in the statement.

The workers will be equipped with a safe migration booklet, pamphlet and a toll free telephone number 1800-200-1303.

V George Antony, managing director and country head of UAE Exchange India, a financial services firm, said that this pioneering campaign will be featured in UAE Exchange offices for the next six months, and will help prospective migrants learn about their rights and how to migrate safely.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), nearly 600,000 workers in the Gulf region and the Middle East are victims of forced labour, trapped in jobs into which they have been coerced and deceived, and which they cannot leave.

Many of these workers are Indian citizens employed in low-skilled and semi-skilled jobs in construction, manufacturing and the domestic sector.

There are over six million expatriate Indians in the six Gulf nations of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

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Mangaluru’s public transport revolution: 100 new govt electric buses to end private ‘trip-cutting’

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: Public transport in Mangaluru is set for a state-led transformation as the government moves to deploy 100 new electric govt buses to replace unreliable private services. The initiative aims to provide a dependable alternative to private operators who have been frequently "cutting trips," leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

The announcement was made by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV during a public phone-in session. The move specifically targets routes where private bus service has become erratic, ensuring that citizens no longer have to rely on a fluctuating private sector for their daily commute.

Restoring the Govt Presence

The transport crisis was brought to the forefront by Ramayya, a resident of Bajal, who highlighted a growing trend of private buses skipping morning and night trips. With the previous KSRTC (govt) services discontinued, residents have been left without a fallback option.

To fix this, the DC confirmed that the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme will bring 100 government-owned electric buses to the city:

• Phased Deployment: The first 50 of the new 100 government buses are scheduled to arrive by March 2026.

• State Infrastructure: Two new government depots, including one at Mudipu, are being prepared for operations.

• Recruitment: The state has already begun training a new batch of government bus drivers to ensure the fleet is operational the moment it arrives.

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