TRIVANDRUM, 29 May — From easing problems at airports to checking spurious recruitment agencies, Kerala’s new government is determined to make things easier for Keralites living abroad, a minister announced yesterday.
The nearly 1.6 million non-resident Keralites (NRKs) and their dependents numbering close to four million can now look forward to several things “that are going to benefit them,” said M.M. Hassan, who holds the portfolios of public relations, parliamentary affairs and NRK affairs.
Hassan said until now the chief ministers handled the welfare of NRKs, who form the backbone of the state’s economy and repatriate about 70 billion rupees to Kerala every year from around the world.
“But (Chief Minister A.K.) Antony has said their welfare would be taken care of with utmost seriousness. That is why he has asked a minister to handle the portfolio,” so that more attention could be paid to their problems, said Hassan.
Hassan told reporters: “We are planning to use their capital for taking Kerala to newer heights. Many have expressed a desire to be part of a new developmental strategy, in which their investments could be put to productive purposes.”
He pointed out that one of the first tasks of the new government would be to post an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer at Kerala House in New Delhi to liaise with the central government.
He said the government would be asked to keep statistics on all NRKs. A pension and other welfare schemes were being planned, he said. The government would also take care of the welfare of the large number of Keralites who have returned from the Middle East.
