Question : Complaints-Petitions in Indian Missions

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Indian Missions abroad have received complaints/ petitions/ representations from Indian citizens/ people of Indian origin about the problems/hardships being faced in the countries of their residence;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the number of such complaints/ petitions/ representations reported during each of the last three years and the current year; and

(c) the details of the steps taken by the Government to address their problems?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) to (c) As part of good governance efforts, the Ministry of External Affairs launched an online Consular Grievances Management System named MADAD, on 21st February 2015, to extend a helping hand to Indians abroad requiring consular assistance and to redress their grievances. The MADAD online portal represents a qualitative improvement over existing procedures for handling of consular grievances, through online forwarding, filing, tracking and escalation until their eventual resolution. In addition to the Ministry, all our Missions and Posts abroad and the MEA’s Branch Secretariats in Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad and Kolkata, have been linked to this portal.

A Call Centre has also been launched, in Hindi and English languages, to assist consular grievants by advising them about how to register their grievances on the Madad Portal and if necessary register their grievances on their behalf.

An Overseas Workers Resource Centre (OWRC) with a multi-lingual 24x7 helpline has been operational since 2008 and provides information to intending migrants and overseas workers on all aspects of overseas employment including requirements to obtain a legitimate work permit/visa for employment abroad. Five Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) have been set up in Kochi, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Chennai and Lucknow to provide information and counselling for intending migrants about the procedure for legal migration and precautions to be taken while migrating. An Indian Workers Resource Center (IWRC) has been operational in Dubai, UAE since 2010.

So far Madad portal has registered over 11,300 grievances, out of which over 7,360 have been resolved. A table indicating the country-wise status of grievances is attached at Annexure.