Building sites in UAE can now house workers
dubai — Contracting firms have been allowed to set up labour accommodations at their work sites, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) said on Thursday.
The accommodations must have enough space for workers to ensure social distancing. They will ensure the continuity of construction work when transportation of workers has been banned between emirates in the country to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The ministry said firms that want to build labour accommodations at work sites should stick to the regulations set by the local bodies.
Meanwhile, 50,000 Indian expats have registered on the online portal collecting data of people who wish to travel home in less than 24 hours since its launch late Wednesday night.
Consul General of India in Dubai, Vipul, said: “The figures stand as of 8pm on Thursday (April 30). The data collection process would continue. However, we haven’t begun analysing the data as such.” The missions expect the numbers to rise in the coming days.
Following the surge in applications, the Indian consulate has urged residents not to rush to register as the database will be up for several days.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday that a total of 353,468 Keralites in 201 countries have registered on the Norka-Roots portal to return as and when the lockdown ends.
A majority of this is from Middle East countries. It includes 153,660 from the UAE, Saudi
Arabia (47,268), the UK (2,112), the USA (1,895) and Ukraine (1,864).
“We have decided to present the final list of prospective returnees to the Central government and also to the respective Indian embassies to make adequate travel arrangements,” said Vijayan. Students, pregnant women and senior citizens would get the priority. The registration has to be done on www.norkaroots.org of the state-run NorkaRoots, the official body of diaspora.
The facility was launched by the Kerala government, after the Centre, following requests from several quarters decided to take a positive step.
Of an estimated 2.5 million non-resident Keralites (NRKs), 90 per cent are in the Middle East countries. About 350,000 people are likely to return after air services resume.