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Oscar to take up NRIs’ plea

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Minister for Labour Oscar Fernandes has promised to take up with the Finance Minister the demand of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) for relief for the losses due to the appreciation of rupee.

The Minister gave this assurance in response to a demand by the office-bearers of the Kerala chapter of the NRI Welfare Committee, UAE, while inaugurating an NRI meet organised by the committee here on Saturday.

Pointing out that much of the foreign exchange of the country was being contributed by the NRIs, Mr. Fernandez said a large number of the NRIs were Keralites and the Government would certainly reciprocate the services being rendered by them in pepping up the economy, through appropriate measures.

When his attention was drawn to the reports that the Centre had already announced a Rs.1,400-crore package for compensating the exporters for their loss in the wake of the rupee appreciation, the Minister said: “I’m not an economist. As far as I know, strong rupee will enable you to buy more things with the same amount of money. But anyway if the NRIs feel that they had been discriminated against in terms of the relief measures announced in the context of the appreciation of the rupee, I will certainly take it up at the Central Government, including with the Finance Minister.”

Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy, who inaugurated a seminar on ‘litter-free Kerala’ organised as part of the meet, said the Government would enforce a legislation to bring private hospitals under the control of the Health Department.

At present, the Health Department did not have any control over private hospitals. The Government cannot monitor the manner in which a large number of patients are being treated in private hospitals. “The Centre is known to be contemplating legislation for regulating private hospitals. But we have to frame a law after taking into account the unique situation prevailing here. We will bring in the legal changes only after holding consultation with all the stakeholders,” she said. The Minister felicitated chairman of the Santhimadham Builders and Developers Radhakrishnan.

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