Joseph, who was on a tour of the major cities in the Kingdom, was speaking during his visit to the SRMG Group headquarters in Riyadh. Deputy General Manager of Saudi Research and Publishing House Saleh Al-Duwais accompanied the minister while touring the company's facilities.
Shihab Kotukad, representative from the Saudi Chapter of NORKA, NORKA Director C.K. Menon, Secretary Manoj Kumar and former minister M.M. Hasan were also present.
Joseph said the NRI cell which was established in the state of Kerala in 2004, currently headed by a superintendent of police, has been helping the distressed overseas Keralite workers.
“On receiving complaints from the Indian missions in the host countries, the cell assists the workers to resolve their problems in Kerala,” he said.
There are some 2.2 million Indians in the Kingdom. More than 50 percent of them are from the state of Kerala, while other states such as Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh follow suit. Around 1,400 Indian workers are in Saudi prisons for various offenses.
He said that his ministry (NORKA) is working out a scheme with the help of the diplomatic missions in the Kingdom to repatriate the prisoners who are still in jail even after completing their term.
The visiting minister said that it is likely that the concept of NRI cell created by the Kerala state be developed in other states too on an initiative by the central government.
“They will serve overseas workers who bring in foreign exchange to the country through their hard work,” the minister said. The official said that the Indian government would allocate more funds to the NORKA in its upcoming fifth year plan, this will be followed suit by the respective states, he added.
Kerala is the first state in India to set up a separate department for the welfare of NRIs hailing from the state. Since its inception, NORKA receives petitions relating to various issues. All the petitions are meticulously examined, and followed up with the concerned authorities in the state.
