The district administrations have identified 566 persons from Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar of Doaba region who are working in different parts of strife-torn Iraq.
The Jalandhar deputy commissioner's office said 159 persons from the district were working in Iraq, of which 10 persons had been reported stranded in the terrorism-hit parts of the Gulf nation.
The rest are in touch with their families, officials claimed.
"Many families have told us that their members are in safe areas and are doing their work," said deputy commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav.
As many 167 persons were identified from Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar district of whom 165 are reported safe. There is no trace of two men as they have not established any contact with their families since June 15.
"Eighty seven persons have informed us that they are ready to come back but their passports are with construction firms and hence the delay. Few have informed their families that the construction firms are also in the process of completing the formalities of clearing their accounts," said the deputy commissioner.
Similarly, in Kapurthala the number of those working in Iraq is 35.
Kapurthala deputy commissioner DS Mangat said of 35 persons from the district, Govinder Singh of Morad village has been reported missing since May 15 as all his contacts have failed to search his location. "Gobinder was working in Mosul area and that city has been taken over by the terrorists. Rests are in touch with their families," said Mangat.
{{/usCountry}}Kapurthala deputy commissioner DS Mangat said of 35 persons from the district, Govinder Singh of Morad village has been reported missing since May 15 as all his contacts have failed to search his location. "Gobinder was working in Mosul area and that city has been taken over by the terrorists. Rests are in touch with their families," said Mangat.
{{/usCountry}}The Kapurthala DC also visited Govinder's family in Morad village and apprised them about the efforts being made by the state and the central governments to locate their family members.
In Hoshiarpur, the number of those living in Iraq has found to be 205 so far.
These figures have been prepared by the district administrations by contacting village sarpanches, patwaris and the information received on media centres.
Meanwhile, Punjab NRI Sabha president Jasvinder Singh Shergill said five more youths had been reported "kidnapped" by the terrorists and there was no trace of them. "We contacted the minister of external affairs over the issue but did not get any response," he said.
People in Iraq
Jalandhar: 159
Hoshiarpur: 205
SBS Nagar: 167
Kapurthala: 35