Govt takes action in Mississippi workers' case

New Delhi, Apr 16 (UNI) The Government has suspended the licence of Dewan Consultants and Mansur&Co, Mumbai and blacklisted the foreign employer-- Global Resources-- in connection with the ''sub-human conditions'' of more than 100 Indian workers in Mississippi, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

''We are also initiating legal action against the recruiting agent for violation of the Emigration Act, 1983,'' Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said in a written reply.

''The Indian Mission has also taken steps to withhold visas from the main US recruiters involved to prevent them from entering India to conduct recruiting operations,'' he said.

According to reports received from the Indian Mission in US, a total of 590 Indian workers were recruited by Global Resources through Diwan Consultants.

The workers were deployed in the yards of Signal International, a marine fabrication company, located at Pascagoulami, Mississippi and Orange County.

As many as 120 workers met the Indian Ambassador in Washington on March 27, demanding expediting investigation into their grievances.

They were mainly aggrieved on account of alleged poor accommodation and amenities, deductions from their salary for accommodation, food, electricity, water and non-fulfilment of the alleged initial commitment of permanent residency status, the Minister said.

''However, my Ministry has not received any complaint of harassment by the recruiters from the families of the workers,'' he added.

UNI YJ SP HT1447