RIYADH: Beginning Monday, the Indian missions in Riyadh and Jeddah will charge an additional fee of SR8 for processing documents, the Indian Embassy announced on Tuesday. The money will go into a welfare fund set up to support overseas Indian workers.

The new levy is being introduced in the latest move by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in New Delhi, which recently approved the establishment of the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) in 17 countries, including Saudi Arabia.

“Indian philanthropists are welcome to contribute to this fund which is geared to help their compatriots,” said R.N. Vats, secretary for community welfare at the Indian Embassy.

The new fund is aimed at providing boarding and lodging for distressed overseas Indian workers in domestic sector and unskilled laborers; extending emergency medical care to those in need; providing air passage to stranded overseas Indians; providing initial legal assistance to overseas Indians in deserving cases; and repatriating bodies of Indians in the event their next of kin cannot cover the costs.

“Overseas Indian workers duped by unscrupulous intermediaries in the host countries, runaway housemaids, those who become victims of accidents, deserted spouses of overseas Indians, undocumented workers in need of emergency assistance or any other overseas Indian citizens who are in distress would be the beneficiaries of the fund,” said Vats.

He pointed out that the Riyadh mission has adequate funds to meet such needs but the new proposal would augment the fund and help enhance its activities into more areas of services to the 1.8 million expatriates in the Kingdom.

The diplomat pointed out that the mission ensures that no Indian expatriate who is in need of humanitarian assistance from the mission is left out.