Tuesday, August 22 2006 11:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: With a view to ensuring security and safety of emigrant workers going to Afghanistan, Government has proposed inclusion of a suitable provision in the employment contract making the company deploying Indian workers to that country responsible for their security.

Among other measures, it proposed a special insurance cover at the cost of foreign employer prior to emigration of worker from India, an official release said yesterday (Aug 21, 2006).

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs also proposed attestation of employment documents from the Indian mission in Afghanistan in every case.

It said that comments of the concerned have been sought for each of these suggestions after receipt of which final decisions will be taken.

Emigration of Indian workers to Afghanistan has been on a lower side in the recent past and the number of persons who had obtained emigration clearance from the offices of Protectors of Emigrants for employment in that country was 444 in the current year as against 739, who sought clearance in 2005.

As some projects have been approved by the Ministry of External Affairs, deployment of workers to such projects has to be permitted, the release said adding as such, no formal ban on deployment of Indian workers to Afghanistan has been imposed.