Bahrain against India's plea for joint inspection

Dubai, Aug 5: Bahrain has rejected India's request for joint inspection of labour camps in the kingdom.

An official said although the Ministry of Labour is keen to cooperate with everybody, including embassies, labour inspection is the Kingdom's internal affairs.

''However, if the embassy requests, we can provide it with the statistics and information about our inspection activities,'' Bahrain Tribune quoted a Ministry official as saying.

The rejection comes after Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty called upon the Ministry last week to associate the embassy in the Government's labour inspections to ensure safety measures in workers' camps and to get closely involved with the problems facing labourers with their sponsors.

Following a blaze last week in a cramped labour camp in which 16 workers from Tamil Nadu perished, Bahrain Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, had said the kind of living and safety conditions found in that building were unacceptable.

UNI

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