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."
Ukraine Crisis: US announces $400 million military aid for Ukraine; Blinken encircles Russia
America has once again extended a hand to help Ukraine. $ 400 million in military aid has been an
Kerala's Vizhinjam port project suffers setback
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 20 (IANS) Kerala's dream Vizhinjam
The first phase of the UP Panchayat elections caused a ruckus in Agra and Jhansi districts. A van
Dangerous tests were done on humans in this unit of the Japanese army, its story is horrifying
'Unit 731' is an example of the extent to which a human being can hate another human being. The e
The Indian team has not won a single ICC trophy since 2013. During this, Team India has been disa
Good news for India, global fintech investment to exceed $210 billion in 2021
Total global fintech funding (in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and venture capital) r
UGC NET May Exam 2021 Postponed: UGC NET exam postponed due to coronavirus
UGC NET May Exam 2021 Postponed: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has decided to postpone the UG
In the student parliament that went on for seven hours in Gandhi Maidan, everyone was unanimous t
PM Modi On America Allegations: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi interviewed with the Financia
After 'Jawaan', Shahrukh Khan is all set to return to entertain his fans on the big screen with '
