BRS Legislature Party deputy leader T Harish Rao has demanded a CID or judicial inquiry into Telangana Overseas Manpower Company’s Germany job programme, alleging that unemployed candidates paid more than Rs 4 lakh each but did not secure overseas placements.
Harish Rao alleged that 70 to 75 candidates from 15 districts paid Rs 4.10 lakh each to TOMCOM and Fairstreet India for the programme. Their total expenditure reportedly rose to nearly Rs 4.5 lakh per candidate after examination, insurance and visa-related costs. The allegations were reported by Telangana Today on Sunday.
The BRS leader claimed that more than two years after the candidates enrolled, none of the 24 people who spoke to the media could identify a German employer who had interviewed them. He alleged that candidates had relied on promises of overseas employment and that farming families had used savings, pledged gold and borrowed money to meet the programme’s expenses.
According to Harish Rao, candidates who cleared the B1-level German language examination were later asked to clear the B2 level. He also questioned an earlier public announcement that nine candidates were ready to fly to Germany, claiming that none had ultimately left for the country.
Harish Rao sought a full refund of the money collected from the candidates, compensation for financial losses, interest payments and mental distress, and alternative employment for every affected candidate. He also demanded criminal cases against those responsible and a white paper setting out the fees collected and the number of actual overseas placements.
The dispute has raised questions about the accountability of a state-run overseas manpower company and the safeguards available to unemployed applicants paying large fees for international employment. Harish Rao also questioned a clause in the agreement requiring disputes to be taken to a court in Lucknow, which he described as being more than 1,000 kilometres away from Telangana.
He further alleged that responses to Right to Information applications seeking TOMCOM’s actual placement figures had not been provided within the statutory deadline. The BRS leader criticised Labour Minister G Vivek Venkataswamy for inaugurating a new TOMCOM batch in June while, he said, cases connected with the earlier programme remained pending.
The allegations come against the backdrop of the Congress government’s promises of two lakh jobs and a job calendar, which Harish Rao also questioned. He said the BRS would support the affected families until their money was returned and those responsible were held accountable. The supplied report does not include a response from TOMCOM, Fairstreet India, the Labour Department or the Telangana government to the allegations.
