India to check abuse of maids in Gulf

Saudis wishing to hire Indian maids will need to get special permission from the Indian ambassador.

Saudis wishing to recruit housemaids from India will soon be required to obtain special permission from the Indian ambassador in order to prevent abuse of maids by some employers.

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"The Indian embassy is in the process of introducing online registration of Indian maids at the embassy," Indian ambassador M O K Farooq said, during a meeting with a delegation from the Federation of Kerala Associations in Saudi Arabia (FOKSA).

Farooq said the embassy has recommended to the centre in New Delhi, that registration of maids should be made compulsory to prevent their abuse.

"The rule is already in place. But it has not yet been made compulsory," Farook said.

"They (employers) have to abide by the rules and regulations, one of which is that the maid should be above the age of 40," he added.

Also, the minimum salary payable to maids has been fixed at SR 1,000.

Meanwhhile, R Muraleedharan, general convener of FOKSA, in a memorandum called for the need for organising health camps for low-paid Indian workers who have no insurance cover for medical treatment.

The memorandum points out that in the absence of insurance cover, voluntary social workers come under pressure to collect funds from philanthropists till such time as the workers are sent back to India to continue treatment.

The time lag between the diagnosis of a disease and its preliminary treatment "is crucial. If proper treatment is not given, even death could occur," it adds.