Kerala has become the first Indian state to allocate an exclusive budget worth 500 million rupees for the rehabilitation of Indian expatriates returning home following the implementation of the Nitaqat program.

It has also made arrangements to check the profession and visa of Indian nationals traveling to the Gulf countries to ensure they are not cheated by unscrupulous agents and middle-men.

Kerala is also set to become the first state in India to train and upgrade skills as well as conduct an orientation program for its residents prior to their departure to Saudi Arabia.

Moreover, it has earmarked funds for litigations abroad and to repatriate the mortal remains of their nationals in the event of death.

Shihab Kottukad, an official from the non-resident Keralite affairs department, said, “Other Indian states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu can follow our example in this regard.”

He said the Kerala government has taken a series of decisions regarding the welfare of its residents working in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East.

The government will assist Indian employers create job opportunities for returnees who want to go back to the Gulf nations to work.

A separate database of those seeking such employment will be prepared for assistance through the job portal of the non-resident Keralites affairs department and the recruitment system of the Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants (ODEPEC).

A fund allocation has been earmarked for all these schemes in the current budget, he said.

The government has initiated a program for offering 10 percent capital subsidy to 1,000 entrepreneurs for projects costing up to 2 million rupees. Besides, a 5 percent interest subsidy is proposed on loans repayable over 10 to 15 years.

The Kerala Financial Corporation will offer an interest-free loan of 2 million rupees under the Kerala State Entrepreneur Development Mission.

Kottukad said, “A state-level banking committee will provide easy loans to Gulf returnees, considering the contribution of overseas Keralites to the growth of deposits. Cooperatives will be formed for starting small scale businesses.”

There are currently 450,229 expatriates from Kerala living and working in Saudi Arabia making up the largest ethnical block of India and one of the largest among all nationalities.