Date:17/12/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/12/17/stories/2002121703361300.htm

National

'Action taken against 39 recruiting agencies'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI DEC. 16. Registration certificates of 39 recruiting agencies engaged in export of manpower were either suspended or cancelled between January 2000 and November 2002. The Labour Minister, Sahib Singh Verma, said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today that 11 of the agencies were in Kerala, another 11 in Maharashtra, eight in Tamil Nadu, seven in Delhi and two in Andhra Pradesh.

While the certificates of seven registered agencies were cancelled during this period, 55 prosecutions were sanctioned in respect of cases against unregistered agencies or individuals. The Government had recently decided that recruiting agencies would settle complaints within 90 days failing which immediate action would be taken to suspend or cancel their certificates and, if necessary, forfeit the security deposited by them. He said complaints against registered recruiting agencies were taken up with the Indian mission in the respective countries to settle the problems of workers immediately. Complaints against unregistered agencies were immediately taken with the appropriate authorities for investigation and suitable legal action for violation of the Emigration Act, 1983.

The complaints mainly related to levy of service charges in excess of the amount prescribed under rules, collection of money from the intending emigrants but not actually deploying them for overseas employment, sending some 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.