Chinese vendors cite ‘package wise' approach for more visas

Anil Sasi

New Delhi, May 23

Chinese power equipment firms have justified their need to commit larger number of their own personnel at upcoming projects sites in India as they deploy “package-wise expert teams” to execute orders.

This is the primary defence that Chinese infrastructure firms are taking against the Government's move to crackdown on visa issuance to expat workers initiated late last year, Government sources said. With project totalling an estimated 12,000 MW facing months of delays due to the visa crackdown, the Centre is now gradually easing its stand on the issue.

“The visa rules are being eased. Foreign personnel needed for resumption of work at project sites are back. A large capacity had got affected, with delays of 5-6 months recorded at projects being executed by Chinese equipment and personnel,” an official with the Central Electricity Authority, which monitors project progress, said.

Altering rules

Late last year, the Labour Ministry had, in consultation with the Home Ministry, introduced a slew of changes in the visa rules after it was found that there were thousands of Chinese workers, including low-skilled ones such as cooks and masons, employed in power and steel projects being built by Chinese contractors.

Most of the 42,000-odd Chinese workers working on power projects here were using business visas instead of employment visas to stay in the country.

The crackdown restricted employment visas to skilled people in senior jobs and limited foreigners to one per cent of a project's total workforce. After the visa rules were changed, the number of Chinese working in the country had come down to about 3,000. Private project developers have been rallying against the move as their project execution schedules have been hit.

Three power plants being built by ADAG group firm Reliance Power Ltd placed orders with Shanghai Electric Company. Lanco Infratech Ltd awarded a contract for its 1,015-MW plant to Dongfang Electric Corporation.