Andhra urges centre to help stranded workers in Iraq

Hyderabad, June 21 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh government Saturday urged the central government to render all assistance to workers from the state stranded in Iraq.

Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu Saturday directed NRI Empowerement Minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy and the state's representative in Delhi K. Rammohan Rao to meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for this purpose.

They will handover the cabinet resolution and Naidu's personal letter seeking assistance to Andhra Pradesh workers stranded in Iraq both for their rescue and safe transportation to their native places, said an official statement.

The chief minister has requested union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to help the state government in approaching the external affairs minister and speed up the arrangements to end the agony of those stranded in Iraq.

The state government earlier asked collectors of all 13 districts to gather information about the people stranded in Iraq. It has also set up a helpline with phone nos. 040-23454946 and 9949054467.

The government of Telangana has already set up a similar helpline and is in touch with the external affairs ministry to provide information about the workers from the state stuck in the strife-torn country.