NRKs reopen can of complaints

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Kochi: The pre-Pravasi Bharatiya Divas session on Sunday, for non-resident Keralites working in the Gulf, was dominated by discussions on what the Central and State governments had promised and failed to do.
The 11th Pravasi Divas will be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday.
The Gulf session was formally inaugurated by Union Overseas Indian Affairs minister who at the very start said that it was a meeting to hear the woes of those toiling in the Gulf and sending home their hard-earned money. Remittances of nearly Rs 60,000 crore from non-resident Keralites are received every year which is a huge amount and accounts for around one-third of the State Domestic Product.
The minister admitted that he was well aware of the problems and very few had been resolved, but promised that the issues would be taken up with the Prime Minister and other Central ministers in the coming days.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, in his keynote address, said that the biggest achievement of the state government was providing NRKs with voting rights.
But many delegates said later that giving voting right at the local self-government level was meaningless unless provision was made for online voting.
Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust chairman Mr K.V. Shamsudheen said that only online voting rights would be a solution for the more than 25 lakh Malayalis staying outside the country.
He also felt that a crucial issue that would be of great help to the next generation of NRIs was the provision of five per cent seats in professional courses. “This was raised earlier at the PBD in Delhi and was accepted by AICTE. This would have gone a long way in helping NRIs who struggle to teach their children, as the fees would be nominal, as charged un­der the merit quota. Unfo­rtunately, this is yet to be implemented,” he said.
The threat of repatriation was discussed as across the Gulf countries, more locals are being employed, forcing Indians to return home and start hunting for jobs.
Mr Shamsudheen said that according to surveys it was found that just five per cent of NRKs were in a position to support themselves on their return and hardly two per cent of the families back home have made some savings from the remittances. “An exodus back home would spell disaster,” he warned, and added that little has been done to tackle this issue.
The national carrier came in for some heavy flak for cancelling flights during the peak season. The proposal for a state carrier, Air Kerala, is still to take off.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the conditions imposed, of running domestic flights for five years and having a 20-strong fleet before going international, were standing in the way. The issue was being pursued with the Union government, he said.
Later in the day, separate sessions were held on tourism, promotion of pure science and skills development.