LOK SABHA
The Registration Certificates
of 39 recruiting agencies engaged in export of manpower were either
suspended or cancelled from January 2000 to November 2002. Stating
this in a written reply during question hour in the Lok Sabha
today, the Labour Minister Dr. Sahib Singh said that 11 each of
them are in Kerala and Maharashtra, eight in Tamil Nadu, seven
in Delhi and two in Andhra Pradesh. He said that registration
certificates of seven registered agencies were cancelled during
this period. He said that 55 prosecutions were sanctioned in respect
of cases registered against unregistered agencies/individuals.
Dr. Sahib Singh said that the government has recently decided
that recruiting agencies will settle complaints with a 90 days
failing which immediate action is taken to suspend/cancel their
certificates and, if necessary, forfeit the security deposited
by them. He said that a complaint against registered recruiting
agencies is taken up with the Indian Mission in the respective
countries to settle the problems of workers immediately. At the
same time the agencies are directed to settle the complaints.
The Labour Minister said in case of complaints against unregistered
agencies, the matter is immediately taken with the appropriate
authorities for investigation and suitable legal action for violation
of the Emigration Act, 1983. He said that complaints mainly relate
to charging of service charges in excess of amount prescribed
under the rules, collection of money from the intending emigrants
but not actually deploying them for overseas employment, sending
some of the workers to foreign countries against non-existent
jobs and, in some cases, changing the terms and conditions of
employment of workers on their reaching alien land.
