The Hindu : Legal cell, relief fund for NoRKs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 22, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Legal cell, relief fund for NoRKs

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 21. The ROOTS-NRK development initiative in collaboration with the Niyama Sameeksha Trust would set up a legal cell to address various legal problems confronting Non-Resident Keralites (NoRKs), the Minister for Information and Non-Resident Keralites' Affairs, M.M. Hassan, said here on Saturday.

The Minister said the majority of complaints received by the Department of Non-Resident Keralites' Affairs (NoRKA) pertained to legal protection for NoRKs' family and property in Kerala and various issues they faced at their workplace. The demand for a legal cell had been voiced by all at the `Samanwayam— Marunadan Malayali' meet held here recently. Those requiring assistance could approach ROOTS or NoRKA, which would forward their cases to the Trust, the Minister said.

The Trust would offer advice, consultation and assistance for litigation within the State. While advice and consultation would be rendered free of cost, litigation would be carried out on behalf of the client for a fee. The family members of NoRKs would also be eligible for the services of the Trust, he said.

Mr. Hassan said the Government had set up a NoRK Minister's Distress Relief Fund on the lines of the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund. It would extend assistance for the welfare of needy NoRK returnees. Grants would be provided to those facing hardships owing to the death of the breadwinner. Assistance would be provided for marriages of girls and for medical treatment.

He said Rs. 20 lakhs, out of the Rs. 1-crore budget allocation for ROOTS, had been converted into an initial corpus for the Fund.

Attestation: He said those who had applied for attestation of their certificates through the centre set up here would have to wait for some more time to get their certificates attested. The certificates received, so far, had been sent to the Ministry of External affairs and the UAE Embassy in New Delhi for attestation. The Embassy would begin attesting the applications from next week. The Embassy had informed the State Government that only 100 applications would be attested a day for three days a week. It would take a minimum of two months for the certificates to be returned after authentication. Registration for attestation could be done online. Tokens had already been issued for attestations up to May 13, Mr. Hassan said.

The UAE Ambassador was visiting Kerala shortly and he proposed to have discussions with him about the arrangements, he added.

Mr. Hassan said ROOTS had already helped in the establishment of micro-enterprises for the rehabilitation of NoRK returnees. A chain of units manufacturing ready-to-cook dosa, idli and appam wet mixes were being set up and their products would be marketed under the brand name SOFT, he announced.

The Minister said a reintegration-training programme was being developed for returnees. Training would be imparted in baby-sitting, housekeeping and other fields. The programme would begin next month.

He said Air-India was being pressed to reduce airfares. If it did not oblige, the Government would participate in a venture to operate shipping services between the Gulf countries and Kerala.

He said he would be visiting Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain later this month.

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