Jeddah: Terming the 'Nitaqat' law as an "opportunity" for those who are stuck in Saudi Arabia for years, India on Saturday said that contrary to perceptions, the number of Indians coming to the Gulf Kingdom has increased "significantly" in the last few months.
"There is no exodus of people. The number of Indians who have come to Saudi Arabia in the past three months have risen significantly according to Saudi authorities," said Sibi George, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia.
He stressed that the Nitaqat programme and the three months grace period given till July 3 is an opportunity for those who have been overstaying in Saudi and have not visited India since 1997.
"Every Indian overstaying here have been given an opportunity to correct their legal status, to find a new job or to go back to India and return without any penalty," George told PTI in Jeddah....
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02:21 PM, May 25, 2013
On Board Special Aircraft: With thousands of Indians set to return from Saudi Arabia due to the 'Nitaqat' law, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday said state governments have been "forewarned" so that the situation does not become "unmanageable". Khurshid said the government was in touch with Saudi authorities to fasten the formalities so that the deadline of July 3 given by them could be adhered to. The 'Nitaqat'...
11:06 AM, May 25, 2013
Virginia Water: Francesco Molinari flourished while five of his European Ryder Cup team mates fell flat on their faces as the Italian grabbed the lead after the PGA Championship second round on Friday. Luke Donald, the 2011 and 2012 winner, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell and Paul Lawrie all missed the halfway cut after struggling in cold, dank conditions at the European Tour's flagship event. A miserable Wentworth course...
10:06 AM, May 25, 2013
Jeddah: External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday arrived at Jeddah on an official visit during which he will hold talks with Saudi Arabia's leadership on a range of issues, including the controversial 'Nitaqat' law, energy security and counter-terrorism cooperation. Khurshid's visit is the first by an Indian External Affairs Minister in the last five years. In 2008, then Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee had visited the Gulf Kingdom. The Minister...
02:55 AM, May 25, 2013
New Delhi: The government has brainstormed on the new anti-fixing law and some strict measures now seem to be in the pipeline. Sources say that fixing will be made non-bailable and will invite a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh. Sources are indicating that the new law will be modeled on the lines of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), a strict law, under which the burden...
03:28 PM, May 24, 2013
New Delhi: Investigation into the IPL spot-fixing scandal continues to shock the cricketing world with Mumbai Police sources now telling CNN-IBN that Gurunath Meiyappan, son-in-law of the BCCI chief N Srinivasan, has been placing bets on IPL matches since 2011. According to sources, Bollywood actor Vindoo Dara Singh - arrested in the spot-fixing case - has revealed that Meiyappan started with bets of Rs. 10 lakh that went up to...
09:53 AM, May 24, 2013
New Delhi: Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala will be released from jail on Thursday after the Delhi High Court granted him an interim bail for six weeks to undergo a heart surgery. Chautala, 78, is serving prison time for his involvement in the 2000 teachers' recruitment scam. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief was asked to furnish a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh along with two...
07:34 AM, May 23, 2013
Do full stadiums indicate the spot fixing scandal hasn't impacted the IPL's popularity? CNN-IBN's sports editor Gaurav Kalra joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on the issue. Q. Do you think BCCI will allow the truth of spot fixing come out..I suspect it will do cover up it had done for Azher..truth will never come out. Asked by: Guru A. The investigations are being handled by the police...and the anger/rage...
06:43 PM, May 22, 2013
New Delhi: The spot-fixing tsunami threatens to sweep the top brass of the BCCI after the name of board president N Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan cropped up on Wednesday during Mumbai Police's investigation into the case. Gurunath is married to Srinivasan's daughter Rupa who is the director of India Cements - the company that owns IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings and lists Srinivasan as its Vice Chairman and Managing Director....
02:50 PM, May 22, 2013
New Delhi: A 27-year-old man committed suicide in Delhi on Tuesday, depressed over being beaten by his in-laws and his wife's refusal to return home from her parents' house. Lokesh, a makeup artist got married in 2012 to Sheetal, who works in a tour and travel company. However, differences started arising within a few months and having a child did not help matters either. According to Lokesh's family, Sheetal would...
06:00 AM, May 22, 2013
Faizabad: One of the advocates defending four UP serial blasts accused, including Khalid Mujahid, was on Tuesday beaten up by a group of around 50 lawyers allegedly owing allegiance to right-wing groups in court premises in Faizabad. The lawyers beat up Mohammad Saleem and also ransacked the chambers of three other advocates representing the blasts accused this afternoon, SSP, Faizabad, Dharmendra Singh said. Saleem was admitted to hospital where his...
11:53 PM, May 21, 2013
New Delhi: Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala was on Tuesday granted interim bail for six weeks by the Delhi High Court for undergoing pacemaker implant surgery at a hospital. "In view of the facts and circumstances of the case and considering the medical report of the appellant/applicant, the applicant's sentence shall be suspended for a period of six weeks," Justice Siddharth Mridul said while granting the interim bail....
04:59 PM, May 21, 2013
New Delhi: Law Minister Kapil Sibal will meet law officers on Tuesday to discuss enacting a new law to check match-fixing in sports. Sibal has called for fixing to be made a criminal offence. "We will work with the Sports Ministry to introduce a law that makes match-fixing a criminal offence. We decided to put up a case for opinion by the A-G and if he clears that, anti-match fixing...
01:55 PM, May 21, 2013
Noida: The poor law and order in Uttar Pradesh was once again highlighted on Monday night when five drunken men opened fire in Noida's Film City, the hub of several national and regional news channels. The men first consumed alcohol and then opened fire. Uttar Police reached the spot after getting the information and arrested all the five accused. The police recovered a pistol, a revolver and also seized their...
11:22 AM, May 21, 2013
New Delhi: A day after Law Minister Kapil Sibal proposed a new law to curb fixing menace in sport in the wake of IPL spot-fixing scandal, The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has backed the need of a tougher legislation to control fixing, sources said on Monday. The BCCI will write to the government asking for a new law to help curb fixing, sources added. On Sunday,...
06:33 PM, May 20, 2013
Gurgaon: Supreme Court's Justice P Sathasivam, who is also the executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), on Sunday said that cases related to women are being given priority by courts after the Delhi gang-rape. "After the unfortunate incident in Delhi, we (Judiciary) are identifying the cases related to women and children and giving priority to those cases," said Justice Sathasivam at a function in Gurgaon. He was...
05:06 AM, May 20, 2013
Dhaka: Bangladesh on Sunday slapped a ban on political rallies for a month to maintain law and order in the wake of deadly protests by Islamists that left at least 28 people dead earlier in May 2013. "Some political parties have caused a law and order problem in the name of holding their programmes. Hence, no one would be allowed to hold any kind of rally for the next one...
02:40 AM, May 20, 2013
New Delhi: In the wake of the spot-fixing scandal in IPL, Law Minister Kapil Sibal on Sunday proposed a law to tackle fixing and other illegal activities in sports in India. Sibal spoke to Sports Minister Jitendra Singh and proposed to plug the loopholes that help the accused to escape punishment. Sibal, who recently took charge of the Law Ministry, made the proposal to ensure strict punishment for the guilty....
06:24 PM, May 19, 2013
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said at Guwahati on Saturday there was considerable improvement in the law and order situation in the state over the past 12 years. He added that the government has been able to bring almost all insurgent outfits to the negotiating table. Gogoi completed his second year as chief minister for the third consecutive term Saturday. He said that while 412 civilians were killed due...
05:42 AM, May 19, 2013
Paris: France's constitutional council has rejected a challenge by conservative lawmakers to the country's new gay marriage law, saying the law was constitutional. That means France could see its first gay marriages by the end of May. France's Parliament passed the law legalizing gay marriage in April after a wrenching national debate. Opponents led by the conservative UMP party immediately challenged the law in France's Constitutional Council, which rejected their...
12:46 PM, May 18, 2013
