TRIVANDRUM,2011,December30: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has promised to actively consider an idea mooted by non-resident Keralities (NRKs) to set up a commercial bank and a university exclusively for the NRKs.Responding to the suggestion made by Dubai-based NRK businessman M A Yusuf Ali in this regard during a face-to-face programme at the Global NRK Meet that concluded here on Friday, he said that the state government would take up the proposal with the concerned federal agencies.
“We need clearances from Reserve Bank of India for the NRK bank and the Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) for the university. Both are good ideas that will be pursued in all seriousness”, he added. Yusuf Ali, who is also the vice-chairman of Norka-Roots, the field agency of the Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Department, suggested setting up of the NRK University with NRK participation. He wanted the state government stake in both ventures limited to 26 per cent.
The chief minister who spent nearly two hours listening to the NRKs, who came mostly from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, said a senior official of the Norka would be sent to the Gulf countries to study the problems faced by the Keralites living there.
The official will gather details regarding Keralites languishing in jails and people with terminal illness and the victims of fly-by-operators, especially the women stranded in the Middle East. “We would begin repatriation of prisoners who have exceeded their prison term long back very soon”, Chandy said.
The chief minister said that the government will start repatriation from Saudi Arabia with the help of the Indian mission there. Delegates from the country have also extended their support to the government in this regard.
Chandy appealed to the Kerala groups in other countries to inform him immediately how many prisoners they can send back similarly. He said that the government will expand the Norka Cell by including an Inspector General of Police and a Deputy Superintendent of Police to find solutions to the problems faced by the Non-Resident Keralites. He expressed the hope that most of the problems faced by the NRKs could be solved after the enactment of the Right to Services Bill his government has mooted. Chandy said that all the suggestions made by the delegates at the meet will be examined carefully and action taken on that. Norka Minister K C Joseph, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala, Planning Board member G Vijayaraghavan and Norka-Roots director C K Menon participated in the programme.
“We need clearances from Reserve Bank of India for the NRK bank and the Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) for the university. Both are good ideas that will be pursued in all seriousness”, he added. Yusuf Ali, who is also the vice-chairman of Norka-Roots, the field agency of the Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Department, suggested setting up of the NRK University with NRK participation. He wanted the state government stake in both ventures limited to 26 per cent.
The chief minister who spent nearly two hours listening to the NRKs, who came mostly from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, said a senior official of the Norka would be sent to the Gulf countries to study the problems faced by the Keralites living there.
The official will gather details regarding Keralites languishing in jails and people with terminal illness and the victims of fly-by-operators, especially the women stranded in the Middle East. “We would begin repatriation of prisoners who have exceeded their prison term long back very soon”, Chandy said.
The chief minister said that the government will start repatriation from Saudi Arabia with the help of the Indian mission there. Delegates from the country have also extended their support to the government in this regard.
Chandy appealed to the Kerala groups in other countries to inform him immediately how many prisoners they can send back similarly. He said that the government will expand the Norka Cell by including an Inspector General of Police and a Deputy Superintendent of Police to find solutions to the problems faced by the Non-Resident Keralites. He expressed the hope that most of the problems faced by the NRKs could be solved after the enactment of the Right to Services Bill his government has mooted. Chandy said that all the suggestions made by the delegates at the meet will be examined carefully and action taken on that. Norka Minister K C Joseph, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala, Planning Board member G Vijayaraghavan and Norka-Roots director C K Menon participated in the programme.