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."
The Allahabad High Court has expressed concern over the rising corona infection and an increase i
Not to mention the name of corona's havoc in Munger, Bihar. The corona outbreak in Jamalpur, Mung
Firing in Central Mexico Bar: 10 Dead; 19 people lost their lives in a similar incident in March
The firing took place on Thursday at a bar in central Mexico. In this 10 people died. According t
The second semi-final of the T20 World Cup being played in Australia will be played in Adelaide t
The Election Commission will announce the dates for the assembly elections to be held in the Nort
Largest jump in corona patients, more than 5 thousand cases in 24 hours, 157 deaths
New Delhi. New patients of Coronavirus are now increasing rapidly every day. In the last 24 hours
Opposition to the Agneepath scheme of the Central Government for recruitment in the army has star
Corona cases have decreased for the second consecutive day in the country. On Monday, 2 lakh 38 t
After Sunny Deol and Jaya Bachchan reprimanded the paps, Big B tweeted, saying, "No morals..."
Veteran actor Sunny Deol reprimanded paparazzi on social media for various reports about Dharmend
In Pakistan's Punjab Assembly, Imran's party leaders slapped the deputy speaker, pulled hair too
In the Punjab Assembly of Pakistan, on Saturday, the leaders of Imran Khan's party PTI broke the
