Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 2 (IANS) Kerala will present its progress card on what it has done for the diaspora and then ask for the centre's help for its plans, Diaspora Minister K.C.Joseph said Friday.
Joseph will be part of a Kerala delegation at the Pravasti Bhartiya Divas (PBD) to be held in Gujarat capital Gandhinagar from January 7 to 9.
Joseph Chief Minister Oommen Chandy would lead the delegation and there would be a Kerala Pavilion at the three-day event which will showcase "our advantages to the visiting diaspora".
"See, Kerala is probably the only state that has led from the front to support its diaspora, whenever there arose an occasion. There are limitations for a state and currently we have launched a rehabilitation package for those who have returned from the Middle-East. It's here we seek the Centre to support us financially when we draw up special schemes," the minister told IANS.
Of the 23.63 lakh Keralites who went abroad, 90 percent are in various Middle-East countries. Close to 13 lakhs have returned from these countries.
According to the latest figures from the State Level Bankers Committee, the total remittances made by the Kerala diaspora to the banks here has crossed Rs.1 lakh crores.
"The chief minister will be speaking on January 9 at the chief minister's session. He will touch upon the issue of giving necessary sanction for our proposal to start our own airline- Air Kerala and also on the hefty air fares being charged by airlines operating to the Middle-East," Joseph said.
According to the minister, the Kerala government is perhaps the only state government which recently has come out with a financial assistance package for the members of diaspora who have returned.
"We along with two public sector banks have launched a self employment scheme and by now more than 20,000 people have applied for it. The maximum cap on loans would be Rs. two million and the Kerala government would offer a 10 percent subsidy to all those who begin an enterprise in the agriculture, trading, manufacturing or the service sectors," he said.
Joseph, who would present Kerala's progress card in the Gulf Session, scheduled for January 9, also said: "The Kerala Pavilion will showcase investment opportunities for the visitors and tourism, IT would be the key areas."
During the Bharat Jodo Yatra of the Congress, a strange situation arose on Wednesday night when a
Mines bill passed by Rajya Sabha despite Left, Congress protests
New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) Despite strong opposition by t
The hijab controversy has once again started heating up in Karnataka. Some students of Mangaluru
Congress, AAP, or Owaisi Bhaijaan, on whose side will the Muslims of Gujarat go; BJP's plan too
In Gujarat, once again the opportunity has come to the people when they will elect the government
How did Joe Biden suddenly reach Kyiv, read the inside story of the US President's visit to Ukraine
The world was taken by surprise on Monday when US President Joe Biden suddenly arrived in Kyiv, t
The tenure of Team India head coach Rahul Dravid ended after the ODI World Cup 2023. After Ravi S
Terror Funding: SIA raids Bathindi in terror funding case, suspected to be linked to Jamaat-e-Islami
The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday conducted raids in Bathind
British PM Boris Johnson has been attacked by opposition MPs in his country's parliament. Opposit
'Brother has a cigarette in his hand'; Netizens react to Salman Khan's viral picture with MS Dhoni.
Salman Khan and MS Dhoni share a deep friendship. Dhoni, along with his family, attended Bhaijaan
Court slams DTC, Insurance Firm for Avoiding Responsibility
New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) A court here has slammed the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and an
