Nitaqat: Over 1 lakh Indians face arrest in Saudi Arabia

Jeddah, May 25: As Saudi Arabia implements its controversial naturalisation law or Nitaqat, which seeks to replace foreigners in companies with its own people, India is in the midst of a gigantic effort to bring back over 75,000 people in the next few months. After having failed to regularise their work status, these people have applied for emergency exit certificates to leave the country by July 3, the deadline set by Saudi Arabia for deportation of illegal workers.

If these people, whose number is growing, can't leave the country by July 3, they are likely to be arrested. On his way to Saudi Arabia, in what is first bilateral visit by an Indian foreign minister to the country in 5 years, foreign minister Salman Khurshid said he will take up the issue with his counterpart, Prince Saud Al Faisal, Saturday even as he added that Saudi authorities were well within their rights to implement their laws.

"In terms of logistics involved, it obviously is a challenge but we have a grace period and we need to do whatever we can during that period,'' said Khurshid.

Nitaqat makes it mandatory for companies to hire a minimum number of local people before employing foreigners and while the law is not new, Saudi authorities have now started to identify `illegal' workers and send them back. Out of those who have applied for emergency certificates, applications of close to 57,000 have been processed by Indian authorities. However, the Saudi authorities are processing these applications only at the rate of 500 per day making it impossible for India to meet the July 3 deadline. According to the government, Nitaqat mostly impacts blue collar-workers who have stayed back illegally in the country after the expiry of their work visa.

"For all we know, after all this many more Indians would be able to come to Saudi Arabia legitimately,'' said Khurshid in Jeddah. Out of the over 8 million expatriates in Saudi Arabia, Indians account for 2.45 million, the largest.

Unlike what was being thought earlier, these numbers are not limited mostly to Kerala but span the length and breadth of the country. What is actually surprising is that over 21,000 of these are from UP. There are 8695 from Andhra Pradesh, 7913 from West Bengal, Maharashtra over 7,000 and 5430 from Tamil Nadu. Kerala comes only sixth with 3610. It is followed by Bihar with 3035 and Rajasthan 2504. There are significant numbers from J&K, Punjab and Assam too.

Khurshid said massive rehabilitation work will be required also for the rehabilitation of those coming back. "We have already warned the state governments that a little bit of hand holding will be required,'' said the minister.

Khurshid's is the latest in a slew of visits to the country by Indian ministers and bureaucrats since Saudi authorities announced their decision to identify illegal workers. Those who have visited the country for a dialogue over the issue include minister for overseas Indian affairs Vyalar Ravi, junior foreign minister E Ahmed and adviser to PM TKA Nair.

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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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