Centre for needy Indians to be shifted to consulate premises on Nov. 1

Our Correspondent

The Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayta Kendra (PBSK), a centre running a helpline and providing legal, financial or psychological counselling for Indians facing distress in the UAE, will be relocated from Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) to the Indian Consulate in Dubai on November 1. The Ambassador of India to the UAE Pavan Kapoor will inaugurate the PBSK in the consulate’s premises.

In a media statement, the consulate said the relocation was prompted by the “operational and access difficulties” faced by blue-collar workers for the shifting of the PBSK. The facility was inaugurated in 2014 in Silver Towers in JLT 1 clusters and was being operated through an outsourced agency, Alankit Assignments (P) Limited.

Before 2014, PBSK was known as Indian Workers Resources Centre (IWRC) and provided assistance to Indian expats in distress. The IWRC had started functioning in Dubai from November 23, 2010 and in Sharjah from August 15, 2017. It was renamed PBSK in 2018. The Sharjah branch was shut as footfall became very low owing to COVID-19.

The Dubai Indian consulate said in a statement: “For quite some time, we have been receiving feedback from the community about the improvement in service delivery mechanism to all Indians who approach PBSK for assistance as it was designed to operate as first Port of Call for distressed Indians.”

“Due to the operational and access difficulties being faced by the Indians, especially blue-collar workers, who used to hesitate in reaching out to JLT clusters and also the way in which the overall working scenario has changed, the government of India has decided to shift operations of PBSK to the premises of the Indian Consulate from November 1, 2020.”

“The Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai remain deeply committed to the welfare of all Indians living in the UAE with an assurance that whatever problems an Indian national is facing, we are just a phone call away, or a visit (in case of need) to the PBSK Centre in Dubai which is [now going to be] located in the heart of the city, well connected by public transport and metro and also inter-Emirates bus services. Going forward, we plan to expand the scope of work of the existing PBSK in due course of time.”

On account of COVID-19 restrictions and precautions issued by the UAE government, the consulate said it will make all attempts to minimise the need for physical visits by any Indian national in distress.

The best way to approach the PBSK in case of any need is to use its 24×7 toll free number [800-INDIA or 80046342], CGI Dubai said.