Saudi: Illegal expats fear eviction from homes as amnesty deadline looms

June 30, 2013

Riyadh, Jun 30: With just three days to go, thousands of expatriates stranded without proper documentation in Saudi Arabia are fighting against time to regularize their status ahead of the July 3 deadline.

Illegal expatriates including Indians fear they may be evicted them from their apartments and houses if they fail to rectify their status ahead of amnesty deadline.

Meanwhile, expatriate workers have also appealed to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to extend the amnesty period.

Calls for an extension have also come from various ministries, a number of foreign governments and businesspeople.

Indian Embassy in Riyadh also has urged the Saudi government to extend the amnesty deadline to prevent Indian expatriates facing fine or arrest in the Kingdom.

However, Saudi government so far has shown no sign of amnesty deadline, with authorities making preparations to resume nation-wide crack down on illegal expats.

The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) is trying to help the consulates and government departments to finish the process on time.

Indians asked to get final exit visa

India has asked its nationals living in Saudi Arabia, who have received their Emergency Certificates (ECs), to get their final exit visa immediately from the Saudi authorities.

The Indian embassy in Riyadh said that it has completed the process of issuing ECs to all those applicants who have verified their personal particulars with the mission.

The new Saudi labour law called 'Nitaqat' makes it mandatory for local companies to hire one Saudi national for every 10 migrant workers.

As a result, a number of people from foreign countries who were working without valid work permits and runaways have come under the scanner.

The Indian embassy has been issuing Emergency Certificates to such nationals to enable them to leave Saudi Arabia.

"All applicants who have submitted their EC applications in Dammam or nearby cities may collect their ECs from Indian International School, Dammam by June 30," the embassy said.

"In case they cannot collect their ECs by that day, they may visit Embassy of India, Riyadh on July 1 to collect the same," it added.

Embassy officials deployed at various labour offices in Riyadh and Dammam and at Riyadh Airport will continue to be available at these places in the coming weeks.

As of May 20, 75,000 Indians had registered with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah to be processed and be send back with 'emergency certificate'. There are over two million Indians in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, in view of the decision by Saudi Arabia to shift the weekend to Friday and Saturday, the Indian embassy too will observe working day from Sunday to Thursday starting July 1. Friday and Saturday will be holidays in consonance with the Saudi official working days.

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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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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