Kerala chief minister announces plans to safeguard women working abroad

Dubai - The chief minister said a range of new initiatives for the benefit of NRKs will be launched soon.

In a bid to protect women against harassment and discrimination while working abroad, a special women's cell will be formed under the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (Norka Roots), a government of Kerala undertaking. 
The cell will protect women against discriminatory practices, announced Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, adding that multiple sub-initiatives to protect the interests of non-resident Keralite (NRK) women will be formed. "This includes migration facilitation centres in airports and pre-embarkment orientation counters in passport centres across Kerala," confirmed Vijayan.
Vijayan was speaking at the opening session of the region's first Loka Kerala Sabha (World Kerala Assembly) on Friday at Etisalat Academy in Muhaisnah. Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri and other delegates from the UAE business community and LKS members from the UAE were present at the opening of the two-day meet.
Opening the two-day meet, Kerala Legislative Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan announced that recommendations and proposals regarding expatriate issues will be heard from the seven standing committees of the Loka Kerala Sabha over the next two days.
"On Saturday, we will announce the decisions made after the two-day meet. We promise to help the expatriate community financially, and in every other way possible," announced Sreeramakrishnan.
New initiatives to bolster economic sectors 
The chief minister said a range of new initiatives for the benefit of NRKs, including an NRK dividend-cum-pension scheme, is under discussion and will be launched soon. The conference will be discussing several welfare measures for NRKs and the establishment of important institutions to support the state's development.
Vijayan called the LKS a truly democratic system. He hailed the formation of the LKS secretariat that has closely studied NRI issues and formed several recommendation reports. "We will discuss how to overcome the challenges faced by the expatriates. Expert teams in each of the seven standing committee areas have been formed, and studies have been conducted to diagnose their issues. The main aim of the standing committee is to find solutions to the issues faced by the NRK diaspora."
The chief minister said a total of 10 proposals were shortlisted from 48 recommendations received from the seven standing committees of LKS. The committees, formed during the first LKS conference that took place in January 2018 in Kerala, deal with different topics for the state's development and NRKs' welfare.
According to Vijayan, the Kerala government is looking to set up a parent organisation - NRI Investment Company - that will find means to draw investment from NRKs to bolster various economic sectors - tourism and infrastructural projects such as roads etc. The government is also looking to set up bodies for overseas Keralites, including cooperative society, bank, construction company and an international Migration Centre for promoting migration studies. "The LKS is a perfect platform to build initiatives of this kind," said the chief minister.
Expatriate issues to be solved 
The chief minister also confirmed that a special festival for NRK youths is expected to be launched. Other opportunities for Keralites seeking jobs in the Gulf region include help from the government for further studies, skill development centres, foreign language centres and student exchange programmes for interested students. Vijayan has also announced that the government is considering the setting up of an NRK Returnees Cooperative Society established in the panchayat-level, which will provide job opportunities for NRK returnees in their respective districts. 
A total of Rs810 million has been earmarked for the welfare of NRKs in the Kerala state budget, of which Rs250 million has been set aside for the 'Santhwanam Project' to provide financial assistance in emergency situations to returnees who have an annual income below Rs100,000. Furthermore, a total of Rs150 million has been allocated to provide capital and interest subsidies to non-resident entrepreneurs and Rs50 million for LKS Global Pravasi Festival.
Vijayan re-announced that the Kerala government will undertake costs for repatriation of mortal remains of expatriates living across the Gulf Region. "A Global Kerala Centre will be opened in Mavelikkara, on a five-acre land owned by Norka," said Vijayan.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
 

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