As many as 386 foreign companies are in the Prior Approval Category (PAC) list of the government due to non-payment or reduced payment of salaries and other related issues of exploitation of workers.
Problems in getting financial claims from employers overseas have come to the notice and government has received representations on the issue from as many as six major countries in last two years which included Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Malaysia, Minister of Overseas Affairs Vayalar Ravi told the Lok Sabha said.
He said as many as 2,884 representations have been received from Saudi Arabia in the first seven months and 4,061 complaints were filed from Qatar from January 2009 to July this year.
Immediately on receipt of a complaint, the Indian mission concerned takes up the matter with the foreign employer, as well as local authorities to settle the matter amicably, Ravi said.
He added that on the basis of recommendations made by the Indian mission, the ministry places defaulting foreign firms in the PAC.
"Such companies are no longer allowed to recruit workers from India till such time that they are not removed from the PAC list. Presently, 386 foreign companies are in the PAC list," the minister said.
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