State’s second initiative: Recruiting workers for Israel construction jobs

The Haryana government plans to conduct an additional recruitment initiative to dispatch construction workers to Israel due to the selection of only 530 youths in the previous workshop from January 16 to 20. Officials mentioned that the Israeli government has raised the quota for foreign manpower in its construction industry from 30,000 to 50,000, with India contributing 10,000 workers. Employment opportunities have opened up in Israel because it cancelled the work permits of Palestinians after the Hamas attack last year.

The advertisement for the jobs – mostly in the sectors of construction and nursing – was issued last Nov by the National Skill Development Corporation, which urged state govt to hold camps in their districts.

Two drives have been conducted so far – one each in Haryana and UP. But in Rohtak – where Haryana government organised a five-day camp at Maharshi Dayanand University – many youths who came from states like Bihar and MP were turned away as only those with domicile IDs were allowed to register after the first day.

This came as a shock for many, who claimed to have paid anything between Rs 20,000 and Rs 1 lakh to agents and touts who promised them jobs. The Israel Builders’ Association will assist in arranging flight tickets for individuals chosen for the jobs. Workers will be dispatched to the country in weekly batches, with each batch consisting of 700-1,000 individuals.