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His two daughters are now nurses.
When Ananda Kumar Kallakunta came to the UAE in 1998, he barely had any money in his pocket. But 23 years later, he is a proud father who couldn’t be more grateful to the UAE for what he has accomplished in his life.
The man who once did odd jobs working as a helper in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is now a senior operator at a labelling and packaging company in Dubai.
His years of dedication and hard work was acknowledged on Monday at the fourth edition of the Taqdeer Award. The Indian expat proudly walked onto the stage, along with his daughter, as he was named best employee out of 50,000 blue-collar workers this year.
Read on: New cards offering discounts to workers launched
“Who said dreams don’t come true? One must have faith,” Kumar said in his touching speech.
“Dubai gives opportunities to different types of people. I thank the Dubai Government for this. When I started working in Kimoha initially, working here in a foreign land was a completely new experience for me and I had my apprehensions. Being away from my family wasn’t easy but to be successful, one has to work hard and be patient. Today, I am a machine operator. I am thankful to my company for this opportunity given to me.”
Kumar’s daughter, who is now married and lives with her husband in the UAE, is a frontline worker at one of Dubai’s renowned hospitals. His second daughter also has a nursing degree and lives with her mother in India.
“Such opportunities have enabled me to help educate my children. My daughter has finished her nursing course and today she is working as a frontline worker. I am filled with gratitude for this country. Thank you UAE, Dubai and Kimoha,” the Indian expat said.
Susmitha Kallakunta, who confidently stood by her father’s side, also took the stage and shared how her father had inspired her to turn dreams into reality.
“My father has been an inspiration for me and he is the role model for my family. I express my sincere appreciation for the UAE leadership for giving equal opportunities to all the expats in this multicultural and peaceful nation. I am very grateful to the UAE for the career growth of my father, which made him capable of providing me with education and giving me an opportunity to work here in the UAE,” she said.
Susmitha, a nurse at Saudi German Hospital, added: “Today, my husband and I work in the UAE. I take immense pride in serving this great nation with my loyalty. Even in such difficult times, Dubai has extended its care to expats like us with free vaccination. No words will be enough to express my gratitude for the country. Thank you Dubai, thank you UAE, Thank you Kimoha.”
Top companies for workers recognised
Companies that have been helping Dubai raise the benchmarks for labour practices — even in the face of challenges wrought by the pandemic — have also been recognised during the Taqdeer Awards.
One of the firms that received a five-star rating said making workers’ welfare a priority is part of their humanitarian approach.
Vinesh Bhimani, MD of Kimoha Entrepreneurs Dubai, said: “Last year, we all faced a very challenging time. But our company is different in the sense that we have been giving an overtime of 1.5 per cent as opposed to the Dubai rule of 1.25 per cent for the past 33 years. We provide for employees’ children’s education here as well as in India. We take care of their medicines here, as well as in their home countries. Last year, we didn’t reduce salaries nor did we lay off anybody. We have learnt from Dubai and we are trying to give it back to the emirate in a small way.”
Other companies that have clinched five stars are Imdaad LLC, Nestle Dubai Manufacturing, and Al Naboodah Construction Group LLC.
Four-star awardees were Agility Global Logistics, Al Nasr Contracting Company, Eros Group, GECO Mechanical and Electrical Company, United Engineering Construction, Al Sahel Contracting Company, Aroma International Building Contracting LLC, Siemens SD (Middle East) LLC, China State Construction Engineering Corporation, Al Mashrabia Furniture Industry LLC, and Amana Contracting and Steel Buildings.
Satish, HR manager of Aroma International Building Contracting, said: “We have been following good practices for the last 22 years and we are being awarded consecutively for four years. This year, we got a four-star rating and we as a company and our workers are all very happy about this. We pay salaries on time, we take up their complaints swiftly and look for immediate redressal. Gratuities are paid on time. We haven’t retrenched anybody. All these factors have helped us win the award.”
nandini@khaleejtimes.com
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