Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) intensified its criticism of the Congress government on Thursday, October 29, over alleged irregularities in overseas recruitment programmes run by the Telangana Overseas Manpower Company (TOMCOM).
Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, BRS general secretary RS Praveen Kumar accused Labour Minister G Vivek Venkatswamy of failing to protect job aspirants who had paid money for overseas employment opportunities. He described the controversy as the “TOMCOM scam” and demanded that affected candidates receive refunds.
The allegations followed a two-part investigation by Siasat.com into TOMCOM's Germany job programmes. The allegations raised by the BRS have not been established as proven wrongdoing.
BRS Raises Questions Over Germany Job Placements
According to the investigation cited by the BRS, none of the 24 candidates interviewed by the publication for an Ausbildung programme could identify a German employer who had interviewed them.
Candidates reportedly said that a revised agreement, which weakened the assurance of interviews, was introduced after they had paid fees of around Rs 1.28 lakh each.
The report also examined a separate bus-driver recruitment programme. Two candidates said they had initially been told that A2-level German proficiency would be sufficient, but were later asked to obtain B1 or B2 proficiency after four months of training.
Praveen Kumar made additional allegations concerning candidates promised technical and hospitality jobs. He claimed that some aspirants were sent abroad on tourist visas and subsequently faced problems finding the promised employment. He also alleged that candidates who expected technical positions ended up working in other sectors.
He did not publicly identify the individuals involved, saying he was concerned that they could face questioning by police.
Dispute Over Fees and Agreements
Praveen Kumar alleged that aspirants had been charged Rs 4.10 lakh each and questioned the agreements candidates were asked to sign. The reported fee for the first Ausbildung batch was Rs 4,10,400, although candidates interviewed by Siasat.com reportedly disclosed net payments ranging from approximately Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh.
He further alleged that some candidates were asked to pay an additional Rs 20,000 for German language examinations.
Candidates reportedly faced difficulties securing examination slots and travelled to centres in Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru at their own expense.
Praveen Kumar also questioned the role of Fairstreet India Pvt Ltd, TOMCOM's private partner, and called on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Labour Minister Vivek Venkatswamy to meet the aspirants and address their grievances.
He demanded refunds for affected candidates and raised questions about the government's oversight of the recruitment arrangements.
Harish Rao Calls for Probe and Compensation
The controversy follows an October 18 post on X by former minister and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao, who accused the government of failing unemployed youth through TOMCOM's overseas recruitment programmes.
Citing the Siasat.com investigation, Harish Rao questioned the reported absence of identifiable German employer interviews among the 24 candidates and raised concerns about a contractual provision requiring disputes to be settled in a court in Lucknow.
He demanded a full refund of money collected by TOMCOM and Fairstreet India, compensation for the time and financial burden borne by candidates, and alternative employment opportunities for those affected.
Harish Rao also called for an immediate Criminal Investigation Department (CID) or judicial probe, criminal proceedings against anyone found responsible, and publication of a white paper detailing fees collected and actual overseas placements.
Government Response and Accountability Questions
The allegations have intensified scrutiny of TOMCOM's overseas recruitment programmes and the responsibilities of its public and private partners.
The key issues include the terms communicated to candidates before payments were made, the availability of genuine employer interviews and placements, the language requirements imposed during training, and the handling of candidate complaints.
The allegations and demands raised by BRS leaders remain claims that require examination by the relevant authorities. A response from TOMCOM, Fairstreet India and the state government would be necessary to establish their positions and clarify the status of the recruitment programmes.
For affected aspirants, the central questions remain whether the promised employment opportunities were delivered, how the fees were used and what remedies may be available if commitments were not fulfilled.
