Nitaqat System in Saudi Arab

Recently Ministry of Labour, Govt. of Saudi Arab has introduced a new law named 'Nitaqat System' for promoting employment of local people in private firms. This system would replace old 'Saudization' program. As per an estimate about 2.5 million Indian are employed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arab (KSA). Saudi govenment has given three months time for correction of Visa status and other documents. It is expected that only those expatriates shall be affected by this program whose documents are not proper. Indian Embassy of Saudi Arab has provided an e-mail address  labour.riyadh@mea.gov.in for providing assistance to Indian nationals who are affected by the Nitqat program. All the Non Resident Biharis (NRB) working in KSA can contact officials of Indian Embassy or visit its website http://www.indianembassy.org.sa/ for updated information and assistance if they are affected by this Nitqat Program.

NITQAT PROGRAM IN A NUTSHELL

NITAQAT (ZONES) SYSTEM In a Nutshell			41 classifications of employment sectors 5 company classifications based on employee tally 4 compliance-related and disciplinary zones
5 Company Classifications (based on total employee tally)
1-10 employees	EXEMPT from classifications				Nitaqat system does not apply
10-49 employees	SMALL classification				5-24% Nationalization required
50-499 employees	MEDIUM				6-27% Nationalization required
500-2999 employees	LARGE				7-30% Nationalization required
3000-more employees	BIG				8-30% Nationalization required
4 Compliance-Related and Disciplinary Zones
Blue zone		GREEN zone		YELLOW zone		RED zone
VIP category INCENTIVES: Can hire anybody from any part of the world. Easier visa processing New visas with open professions through the electronic system. Can change professions of their workers even to those that are restricted to Saudis, except jobs such as employment officials, receptionists, government liaison officials, treasury staff, and security officers. Condition-free visa transfer: Can hire employees from Red zone and Yellow zones, and transfer their visas without the permission of their employers Entitled to a one-year grace period if their municipal and professional licenses or commercial registrations were expired.		Excellent category INCENTIVES: Can apply for new visas once every two months. Can change their foreign workers’ profession except to those restricted to Saudis (i.e.human resource managers; liaison officers; cashiers; receptionists; security guards) A six-month respite after the expiry of their zakat & revenue certificates. Can renew work permits of their employees. Can recruit employees in red and yellow zones and transfer their visas without the approval of their employers.		Poor compliance Punitive Measures: No new visas Can get only one visa after the departure of two expatriates Cannot transfer visas and change professions. No work permit renewal for employees who have completed six years. No control on workers who can switch over to premium zone companies Grace Period: 9 months to improve their status.		Non-compliance Punitive Measures: Banned from change of profession, transfer of visas, issuance of new visas and opening files for new branches. Grace Period: 6 months to improve their status.
Under the new policy, foreign workers employed by companies that are not in compliance are free to work for companies in compliance without acquiring permission from their employers at non-complying companies.

Source : Saudi Gazette

गौरैया और हम

अभी जब बिहार सरकार ने गौरैया को राजकीय पक्षी घोषित किया तो अचानक ही बचपन की कई स्मृतियाँ कौंध गईं। हम में से बहुत से लोग शायद ही इसे गौरैया के नाम से जानते हैं। खूबसूरत पक्षियों की भीड़ में इस साधारण सी दिखने वाली छोटी सी चिड़िया को हम कई स्थानीय नाम 'फुरगुड्डी', चुनमुन चिरई और न जाने कौन कौन से नाम से जानते हैं। अँग्रेजी में इसे Sparrow  कहते हैं। घरों में रहने वाली इसकी एक प्रजाति 'House Sparrow' कहलाती है। यह छोटी सी चिड़िया हमारी जिंदगी का हिस्सा हुआ करती थी। शायद आपकी भी जिंदगी का हिस्सा रही हो।

     सुबह-सुबह चूँ-चूँ की आवाज़ से जगा दिया करती थी। कभी उड़ कर इस कोने तो कभी उड़ कर उस कोने। पुराने घरों में बीच में आँगन हुआ करता था और उसके चारों ओर कमरे हुआ करते थे। आँगन से उड़ कर घर में आ जाया करती थी गौरैया। हमारे घर में अंदर के बरामदे में बेसिन के साथ एक आईना हुआ करता था। फुदक–फुदक कर उस आईने में अपनी छवि देख कर चोंच मारा करती थी। कई बार तो तीन-चार गौरैया एक साथ मिल कर आईने में चोंच मारा करती। शायद दूसरी तरफ अपने जैसी ही कोई चिड़िया देख कर उत्सुक हो जाती थी। कई बार तो तंग आकर हमलोग आईने को कपड़े से ढ़क दिया करते थे। तो भी चोंच से कपड़े को हटा कर आईने में चोंच मारा करती थी। माँ जब चावल चुनती और चावल के कंकरों को फेंकती तो फुदक कर उस पर टूट पड़ती। फिर माँ थोड़ा चावल के दाने भी छिड़क देती, जिसे खा कर वो फुर्र से उड़ जाया करती थी। कई बार आपस में खेलती, लड़ती और काफी शोर करती, तो मेरी बहन उसे डांट देती। पता नहीं कैसे वो चुप भी हो जाया करती थी। परेशानियाँ भी होती थीं, पर उसकी चूँ-चूँ अच्छी भी लगती थी। गाँव जाया करता तो वहाँ भी दिखती थी। उस जमाने में जब बच्चों के लिए आज की तरह ज्यादा खिलौने नहीं हुआ करते थे, तो यही चिड़िया मन बहलाने का काम करती थी। कई लोग रोते हुए बच्चों से कहा करते-'आ रे चिरइयाँ, आ, बऊआ ला, बिस्कुट ले आ' और यह सुन कर बच्चे चुप हो जाते। तब माता या पिता बच्चे की बगल में बिस्कुट रख दिया करते, जिसे देख कर बच्चों को ऐसा लगता जैसे सचमुच चिड़िया ने ही बिस्कुट ला कर दिया हो। एक स्वाभाविक आत्मीयता हो जाती थी बच्चों की, इस चिड़िया के साथ। गौरैया जब अनाज के दाने चुगती तो बच्चे उसे पकड़ने की कोशिश करते। पर फुर्र से उड़ जाती थी गौरैया। एक सहज ही खेल का माहौल हो जाता। पर आजकल बहुत कम दिखती है गौरैया। न जाने कब वो हमारी जिंदगी से दूर होती गयी। प्रकृति के साथ हम मनुष्यों का यह रिश्ता भी न जाने कब खतम हो गया।

     कोंक्रीट के जंगल बढ़ते चले गए। घरों की डिज़ाइन में परिवर्तन हो गया। अब शायद ही किसी घर में खुला आँगन होता है। इन घरेलू परिंदों के ठिकाने खतम हो गए। आजकल मोबाइल के बढ़ते टावर के रेडियशन से भी इनकी संख्या घट रही है। मनुष्यों के साथ रहना पसंद करने वाली इस चिड़िया की घटती हुई संख्या निश्चित ही चिंता का विषय है। तो क्या इस संबंध में कुछ किया जा सकता है। अगर इच्छाशक्ति हो तो निश्चय ही कुछ हो सकता है।

     वर्ष 2010 से 20 मार्च को 'विश्व गौरैया दिवस' के रूप में मनाने की शुरुआत हुई है। डाक विभाग ने भी गौरैया पर एक डाक टिकट जारी किया था। ऐसे में बिहार सरकार द्वारा गौरैया को राजकीय पक्षी घोषित करना एक स्वागत योग्य कदम माना जा सकता है। पर सिर्फ इस से ही काम नहीं चलेगा। हमलोगों को भी अपने स्तर से प्रयास करना होगा। आज हम लोग अपने अपार्टमेंट में/घरों में गमले में पौधे लगते हैं। सुबह शाम उसमें पानी डाल कर उसे सींचते हैं। बाज़ार से खरीद कर तोता या कुत्ता लाते हैं और उन्हें पालते हैं। यह एक प्रयास ही तो है प्रकृति से जुड़े रहने का। तो क्या हम अपनी इस स्वाभाविक सदस्य के लिए कुछ नहीं कर सकते, जिसे किसी बाज़ार से खरीद कर नहीं लाना है। बस अपनी जिंदगी का, अपने घर का थोड़ा सा स्थान देना है। मुझे लगता है कि थोडी कोशिश तो जरूर कर सकते हैं।

BIHAR DIVAS: UNITING BIHARIS WORLDWIDE

Celebrated on 22nd March to commemorate the State’s separation from Bengal on the day in 1912, Bihar Divas is the one day of the year when over 103 million Biharis, regardless of their individual beliefs, can come together in shared experience; an experience that binds Biharis around the globe to this remarkable land and its people.

In our busy daily life schedules we are mainly focused in earning bread and butter for ourselves and our family. We hardly think of anything else but occasions like Bihar Divas springs us a chance to think about our root identity. The glorious history of Bihar gives us a sense of pride and the recent developments in the state enthuses us with the feeling of Being Bihari. Why shouldn’t we feel ourselves lucky to be citizens of that place in the world that is the cradle of Hinduism, the incubator of Sufism, the birthplace of Buddhism, Jainism and the tenth guru of Sikhs? Time and again the state has proved the saying right that ‘what Bihar does today the world adopts tomorrow’. Now a day when the whole country is talking about corruption, Bihar became the first state to provide online information about the property of government servants and to adopt Right to Service Act; according to that every work should be finished in a fixed time schedule. Balika Cycle Yojna and reservation of fifty percent seats to women in panchayat increased participation of women in the process of development. Many more things are there of which we can be proud of.

When the present government got the mandate to reform the state which had been continuously lagging behind, it also thought about its migrated citizens. To remain in touch with them and to address their problems in a suitable way, the government decided to form Bihar Foundation on 24^th Nov. 2006. Later on, it was registered as a society under Dept. of Industry, Govt. of Bihar on 27^th July 2007. There had been so many organisations working in the name of Bihar and established by the migrated people of Bihar throughout the globe but Bihar Foundation provided them an opportunity to come under one umbrella and work conjointly for the welfare of Bihari diaspora and for development of the state of Bihar.

With the objectives of Bonding, Branding and Business, Bihar Foundation endeavours to unite Biharis worldwide. The chapters of the Bihar Foundation are basically the extended arms of the foundation which embraces the migrated Biharis. The chapters functioning around the globe organises some events from time to time which provides a platform for Biharis to know each other at a place away from their home and to trace the oneness which they carry with themselves. Whether it is the cultural commonality, linguistic loyalty or geographical gusto, all comes with the essence of Biharism. Celebration of Bihar Divas is the best possible way to render the voice of Being Bihari. It not only unites the Biharis globally but at the same time fosters the feelings to do something for the motherland.

It has been observed that the day is celebrated all over the world by the NRBs with the same pomp and gaiety as it takes place in Bihar. The folk dances, music, quiz, various competitions, arts and craft exhibition, Bhojpuri film festival, seminar are the main activities which take place this day. Bihari cuisines are also served to remind the delicacies which we eat from generations and hardly find at our workplace. This day the foundation also recognizes the work done by the passionate sons of Bihar. For last three years, it has been celebrated in five cities of India namely at Mumbai, Chennai, Bangluru, Kolkata and Delhi and at eight places abroad namely at California, New Jersey, USA, Canada, Australia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arab.

There are many Bihar based organisations who are not associated with the foundation have also desired to celebrate Bihar Divas at their respective places. The people of Bihar, who migrated in the second wave of migration and formed countries like Fiji, Surinam, Mauritius, and Trinidad and Tobago, now also want to trace their roots in Bihar. It's because of the fact that Bihar Divas celebration has acted as a platform to inform the diaspora and other people about recent developments in the state and its glorious history and heritage. It also provides an opportunity to connect the diaspora with their motherland and their ethnic brethren. Few years before most of the diaspora people used to hide their identity. Now, it has been observed that most of them express themselves as being Bihari and Bihar Divas celebration has definitely played vital role in rendering their voice. The occasion gives a feeling of pride, self respect and has given root identity to the diaspora which was lost earlier. Technology has also played significant role in spreading the message of Bihar Divas. USA Chapter of the foundation arranged for the Live Webcast of Bihar Divas celebration of the Gandhi Maidan, Patna in 2010. This increased the audience base. Social media platforms like facebook and twitter also added glory to this celebration.

Although the history of Bihar can be traced back to the history of civilization, nevertheless Modern Bihar has completed hundred years of its formation last year. It’s again a time of leadership and hope, as a developing Bihar seeks to become a player of significance. On 6^th March 2013, even the Prime Minister of India praised Bihar for its growth and development in his tweet. The time has come for a strong and sustained engagement between Bihar and its children and Bihar Divas has definitely played significant role in uniting Biharis worldwide.