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The Hindu, Special Correspondent
Lead Story
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. T
he 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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