Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the State government will organise the maiden Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS) comprising legislators and parliamentarians from the State and representatives of Malayali expatriates in other Indian States and abroad in January 2018.
Speaking on Thursday after inaugurating a workshop in connection with the expansion of rehabilitation package for returnees, Mr. Vijayan said the LKS had been conceived to discuss issues concerning Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) and it would be convened once in two years.
Cultural festival
Malayalis have been successful in various fields of activity across the world and such conventions would provide an opportunity for the State’s development needs to be stimulated.
“Efforts are also on to organise a World Cultural Festival for NRKs shortly,” he added.
The Chief Minister launched an LKS website as well as a web portal, providing a database of NRKs and overseas returnees. The database will enable the NRKs and returnees to avail the benefits of the Department of Non Resident Keralites Affairs (NoRKA).
Mr. Vijayan said the expansion of the NoRKA Department Project for Returned Emigrant would offer assistance to returnees to get loans from banks and financial institutions.
However, he said, NRKs should use investment possibilities opened by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and Pravasi Chitti to be launched by the Kerala State Financial Enterprises. The government had planned to mobilise ₹50,000 crore in five years.
“Through this, NRKs could participate in various development projects of the State ranging from setting up industrial parks to roads and bridges,” he said. The scope of investment remained unlimited. However, NRKs were usually inclined to invest only in real estate or in depositing their money in financial companies.
Role of banks
The NoRKA Department Project for Returned Emigrant was launched by NoRKA-Roots in 2012. As many as 10,750 people had registered with the programme, but only 1,800 had made use of the scheme. More people should come forward to take part in the programme. Banks had a pivotal role in encouraging returnees who approached them for financial assistance. The banks should not forget that they grown massively due to NRI deposits, said Mr. Vijayan.