New Delhi: Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda on Wednesday appealed to the Centre to blacklist fraudulent employment agencies operating in the country, which lure unemployed youths with job offers abroad.
“Can they (Centre and States) implement some system of blacklisting agencies which may be from State,? There is a system of emigration approval for blue-collar workers, who may or may not be fully literate. Even if these are not screened properly by the Central government because they are State subjects, if we can prevent some of these agencies from sending vulnerable workers outside, it would be very useful,” Panda said.
Responding to Panda’s concern on the issue, Union External Affairs minister Sushama Swaraj said an amendment of the law, possibly in this session, would solve the matter.
“Besides holding a meeting of DGPs, we are planning to write to the States on the issue.... The (employment) agencies are completely into human trafficking. If an amendment could be brought in the House on this, stricter action could be taken against such fraud agencies,” Swaraj asserted.
Panda, during the question hour, also drew the attention of the ministry to how labourers from his constituency as well as other parts of India are being ill-treated in foreign countries.
The parliamentarian thanked the ministry for safe return of many Odias, who were stuck in several countries for various reasons.