NORKA to start engg. college

By Our Special Correspondent

KOCHI, AUG 21. Steps are on to start an engineering college exclusively with the funds provided by the Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs). This would be under the auspices of NORKA, the Minister, Mr. M.M. Hassan, has said.

Briefing the media about the two-day `Samavayam 2001' which concluded here this evening, the Minister said some of the "leading Malayali entrepreneurs" outside the country had agreed to pump in rupees one crore each for setting up the college.

Meanwhile, the KSIDC has already signed a MoU with the Malayali Pravasi Cultural Association of Saudi Arabia to set up a centre of excellence at Taliparamba in Kannur district. The Rs. 300- crore project would be completed within a period of three to five years and already 350 acres of land had been identified for starting the centre. A training institution would also be attached to the centre of excellence.

Nearly 700 delegates, most of them from the U.A.E., attended the two-day meet, which was the first of its kind initiated by the Government. The Government would implement the major recommendations of the meet in a time-bound manner and would exert pressure on the Union Government to redress the long standing grievances of the NRKs. A delegation under the leadership of the Chief Minister would call upon the Prime Minister within the next few weeks to apprise him about the need for early solution to the problems of the Malayalis settled abroad. A follow-up committee with representation for various Malayali associations abroad would also monitor the progress of the implementations of the recommendations, Mr. Hassan said.

As a first step, the Government is to start registration of Keralites going abroad by NORKA for making them eligible for welfare measures under the organisation's umbrella. It is also proposed to start a corpus fund for the welfare and rehabilitation of migrants belonging to the low income group. The contributions from NRK associations and returnees' associations would be used for the same.

The two-day meet has also recommended a pension scheme for NRKs --a scheme to provide a fixed pension on the payment of annual premium as per the schedule of rates approved. The scope of the insurance scheme for NRKs namely `Pravasi Suraksha and Vanitha Suraksha' would be widened. It is proposed to amend the existing scheme and to extend insurance cover for deaths--other than by accident also.

A major recommendation is to introduce shipping services between Kerala and the U.A.E. and to step up efforts of other foreign airlines to start air services to the Gulf region. NORKA would be made the nodal agency for channelising all investments of NRIs in the State. It was also decided to include the names of NRKs in the ration cards.

The State Government would take up with the Union Government the need to impose restrictions on frequent hikes in air fares. It would also take up with Indian Airlines and Air India transportation of dead bodies free of cost to this country. It is also decide to request the Centre to provide international airport status and night halting facilities at Karipur airport.

Some of the other major recommendations include the question of taking up with the Union Government the issue of dual citizenship rights for the NRKs, to seek an amendment, if necessary, in the Census Act, to include the names of the NRKs in the census list, and to take up with the Centre permission for the NRIs to import machineries without any duty for undertaking self employment ventures.

In the long term measures, the State Government has decided to prepare a masterplan for rehabilitation of NRK returnees. A meeting would be convened at Thiruvananthapuram next month of Gulf returnees to discuss the rehabilitation projects. A meeting of Malayalis settled outside the State is also scheduled in the next month at Bangalore or Mumbai, Mr. Hassan said.

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Section  : Southern States
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