Dr Aman Puri meets workers as part of the ‘Breakfast with Consul General’ initiative.

Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent

More than 180 blue-collar workers welcomed the New Year with a breakfast session with Consul General of India in Dubai Dr Aman Puri at the L&T labour accommodation in the Dubai Investment Park (DIP).

The event was a part of ‘Breakfast with the Consul General,’ a monthly community welfare initiative, launched by the Consulate General of India in Dubai in collaboration with the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra (PBSK), Dubai.

The Indian consulate chose L&T’s labour accommodation as the launching point for the welfare initiative of the Indian government to support its citizens. L&T, the $21 billion leading technology, engineering, and construction conglomerate, operates in over 30 countries and has established a strong presence in the Middle East’s construction, power-transmission, infrastructure and hydrocarbon sectors over the past four decades.

Speaking on the occasion, the Indian Consul General urged workers in Dubai to keep aside small amounts of money each month and start saving for retirement.

“You send most of your salary to your families back home and that’s how they survive, but you must also think about your future,” he cautioned. “There will come a time when you will have to leave the job in the UAE and you must have savings to survive then,” he added.

Dr Puri also thanked them for continuing to work during the pandemic.

“The Indian government and the rest of India have immense respect and value for workmen living in the UAE. You have left behind your families and have come here to work, however, the entire country is in your debt,” he highlighted mentioning L&T as a known conglomerate that takes care of its employees.

As part of the welfare initiative, Dr Aman Puri will be visiting one of the labour camps each month, preferably on the first Friday of each month, to meet Indian workers in their camp. This workers’ outreach initiative is aimed at creating awareness among blue-collar workers about financial literacy and planning, learning new skills, health screening, services offered by the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra (PBSK), Dubai, and other information.

Consul for Press, Information, Culture Neeraj Agarwal, UAE Country Head of L&T Power Transmission Distribution Rajesh Kumar, several other L&T senior officials and senior diplomats were present on the occasion.