THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Stating that Kerala has always accorded top priority to the concerns of its expatriates, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said the state will consider the expansion of the insurance scheme for returnees.
“Norka Care is the first comprehensive health and accident insurance for repatriates in the country. We will look into the possibility of extending the same to expat returnees and their families,” Pinarayi said at the closing session of the Loka Kerala Sabha on Saturday.
The CM pointed out that multiple suggestions raised at the event, including the development of a cultural corridor and skill-development initiatives, will also be considered.
Citing the significance of learning the native tongue in foreign countries, he said the Norka Institute of Foreign Languages (NIFL) will provide advanced training in multiple languages, including Japanese. “We hope to have the Pravasi Mission, which aims to achieve rehabilitation, financial reintegration, and job opportunities, inaugurated by February,” he said.
Pinarayi also sought the support of NRIs in facilitating more investment and skill development for youngsters in the state. A standing committee to explore the possibility of implementing the demands raised at the event has been formed, with Norka-Roots directors O B Musthafa and J K Menon, and NRI representatives from other countries as members.
Talking about the newly launched Student Migration Portal, the CM said that this would help reduce the chances of people falling prey to scamsters. However, he noted that a separate programme like the Loka Kerala Sabha will not be held for Malayali students studying in foreign countries.
Speaker A N Shamseer said that even the Union government has hailed the sabha, terming it another example of the ‘Kerala model’. “The Centre has instructed other states to organise programmes like the Loka Kerala Sabha, which itself is a befitting reply to the critics of the event,” he said.
UDF had boycotted the event calling it grandiose.