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."
Solar Mission Aditya L1: We have grasped the moon... now it is the turn of the sun... Yes, this s
Finance Minister Sitharaman's relief package: All about convenient extensions of schemes?
वित्त मंत्री से एक पैकेज की घोषणा की
There is always some medium to reach a character. Junior NTR became that medium for actor Saif Al
A conspiracy is being hatched from eight cities in Canada to fuel the Khalistani campaign in Punj
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the I
Delhi NCR Weather Today: Heavy rain in Delhi-NCR, Meteorological Department issued a yellow alert
It is raining heavily in Delhi-NCR. After the change in the weather in Delhi yesterday, it is rai
The path of monsoon this year is very difficult. Usually, the monsoon reaching Kashmir now has be
Obama attends 'At Home' at Rashtrapati Bhavan
New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) US President Barack Obama was the cynosure of all eyes at the 'At Home
The Haryana government has declared black fungus as a notified disease. Health Minister Anil Vij
Team India: Rohit broke his silence on retirement from ODI-Test after T20, relief news for fans
Indian captain Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from international T20 after India's tit
