The third edition of the LKS: Imparting new Energy and Vision

The third edition of the Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS), one of the most ambitious efforts of the LDF Government to promote the welfare and progress of the Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs), will be held on 17 and 18 June. The previous two editions held in 2018 and 2019 were enormously successful in terms of participation and outcome. LKS has played an important role in increasing the Government’s engagement with the Malayali diaspora and also helped to promote Kerala’s cultural initiatives among its pravasis. Both previous editions proposed innovative ideas for the welfare and development of Malayali pravasis, many of which are in various stages of implementation.

The most important objective of the Loka Kerala Sabha is to create an inclusive democratic space for the NRKs and provide them with an important role in the formulation of policies concerning the development of their home State. To accomplish it, seven sector-specific Standing Committees were constituted to develop and execute the ideas that emerged in the LKS. The LKS Secretariat reviewed the recommendations of the Standing Committees and categorised them into ten key areas including investment, welfare, skill development and culture. Concrete steps have been taken in most of the suggestions included in those key areas.

To enhance investment, we have founded the Overseas Keralites Investment and Holding Limited, and formed an NRI Construction Company as its subsidiary. The State Government will hold 26% of the company’s shares, while NRKs hold 74%. The NRI Co-operative Society has also started functioning. We have established an NRK Women Cell in the NORKA Roots to facilitate the emigration of women, provide awareness, and address their grievances. An International Migration Centre has been set up in the Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram. Loka Malayalam, a journal for NRKs has begun publication. The Global Kerala Cultural Festival has been launched so that NRKs can connect culturally and showcase their talents.

The COVID-19 pandemic truly displayed how important the LKS platform is in terms of ensuring the wellbeing of Malayali pravasis. The LKS played a vital role in providing support and care to the NRKs during the initial phase of the pandemic. With the help of the LKS, NORKA set up Help Desks in 18 countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the USA, the UK, Zambia, Germany, Botswana, Norway, Ireland and Canada.

The LDF Government has always taken immense care to ensure the welfare of our pravasi community. Santhwana Scheme is one such programme which proves the Government’s commitment to their welfare. It provides one-time assistance for marriage, medical treatment, and purchase of equipment for differently-abled persons among NRKs whose annual income is below Rs. 1,00,000. Santhwana also gives financial assistance to the NRKs’ families at the time of their death. COVID-19 deaths have also been included under the purview of the scheme. Through this scheme, Rs. 91.50 crore has been disbursed to more than 15,575 beneficiaries over the past 6 years.

The third edition of the Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS), one of the most ambitious efforts of the LDF Government to promote the welfare and progress of the Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs), will be held on 17 and 18 June. The previous two editions held in 2018 and 2019 were enormously successful in terms of participation and outcome. LKS has played an important role in increasing the Government’s engagement with the Malayali diaspora and also helped to promote Kerala’s cultural initiatives among its pravasis. Both previous editions proposed innovative ideas for the welfare and development of Malayali pravasis, many of which are in various stages of implementation. We have taken immense care in ensuring the livelihood and welfare of the returned migrants. NORKA Department Project for Returned Emigrants (NDPREM) helps returned migrants who have spent at least two years working abroad, with a rehabilitation package which includes subsidies for starting enterprises. The limit of the loan amount is Rs. 30 lakh. 16 banks have partnered in this project and the Centre for Management Development gives technical support. From 2016 onwards, Rs. 50.92 Cr has been disbursed to 3,175 beneficiaries.

We aim to empower our youth with quality skill sets which would make them attractive in the emerging employment opportunities in developed countries. Accordingly, we are organising rigorous skill development programmes through various government institutions. The Information and Communication Technology Academy of Kerala offers ICT skill development programmes. The Nursing Institute for Career Enhancement trains nurses to pass the licensing examinations in various countries and the State Government meets 75% of the course expenses. Through the Triple Win project, Malayali nurses are being recruited to Germany. We are also entering into agreements with Japan, Korea and the Netherlands to enhance job recruitment from the State.

NORKA’s job portal unveils a lot of opportunities for skilled youth who seek jobs abroad. It connects them with reliable employers and helps them to find secure employment. NORKA has been selected by the Ministry of External Affairs as the Nodal Agency for Kerala to conduct recruitment to Japan. It is important that along with providing jobs, our pravasis’ children are provided with good education. Education of the children of economically weak pravasis is being taken care of by the State Government. NORKA’s Director’s Scholarship scheme initiated in 2019-20 provided scholarships to more than 175 students.

Pravasi Dividend scheme, which was introduced in 2019 through the NRK Welfare Board, is an ambitious project that links NRKs with Kerala’s development. Along with ensuring financial benefits for the NRKs and returned migrants, it also provides resources for the infrastructure development of the State. It offers long-term options for investment between Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 51 lakh. A ten per cent dividend on the first three years is added to the deposit and a monthly dividend is made available to the investors. Another important initiative is NORKA Business Facilitation Centre which delivers extensive support to NRKs and returned migrants to find viable investment opportunities in Kerala. Since its inception in 2019, NORKA Business Facilitation Centre has helped more than 30 enterprises in getting approximately Rs.110 crore and generated 750 jobs.

Getting prompt and proper legal service has always been a major hurdle for pravasis. To solve this issue, we have set up the Pravasi Legal Aid Cell. It offers legal support to Malayalis who are imprisoned in foreign countries for minor or petty offences. Such issues happen mainly due to the lack of understanding of the law of the land. We have engaged 11 legal consultants in six GCC countries as part of this programme. So far, we have been able to solve more than 90 per cent of the cases received. To further the assistance to NRKs, a 24×7 toll- free helpline has also been set up. This service provides them with the appropriate information and ensures grievance redressal. It can be accessed through various communication methods including live chat, email, call and SMS. In the last two years, more than 3 lakh NRKs from across 31 countries have used this service. Subsequent to the onset of COVID-19, it has been estimated that more than 7 lakh pravasis have returned and of these, more than 4.5 lakh had lost their jobs. Considering the situation, in addition to setting up helpdesks in other countries, Kerala provided financial assistance to the returned emigrants. An amount of Rs. 5,000 was disbursed as immediate relief. The returned emigrants who tested positive for COVID-19 were provided Rs. 10,000. We even intervened in bringing back NRKs during the lockdown period. We also sent medicines abroad at a discount of 25 % and arranged facilities for online consultations with doctors.

NORKA Roots has launched a 24×7 emergency ambulance service for NRKs who are ill or whose remains need to be transported back to Kerala. More than 700 beneficiaries have availed this facility so far. An Emergency Repatriation Fund has also been set up. It is used to reimburse the expenses associated with evacuating NRKs from countries experiencing civil unrest or natural disasters. The Government of Kerala even made timely interventions to ensure the safe return of our students and others held up in Ukraine. All those evacuated were provided with free transportation from various Indian cities to their homes in Kerala.

There are many more initiatives that reflect our commitment to the welfare and progress of the NRK community. Ours is a comprehensive policy that touches all aspects of their lives. At the same time, it is crucial that Kerala makes use of NRKs’ full potential and experience, if we are to build Kerala anew, i.e., realise a Navakeralam. The Loka Kerala Sabha is the best platform to envisage and implement concrete plans in that direction. I wish the third edition of the Loka Kerala Sabha would be fruitful in achieving this important mission of ours.