Hassan Cheruppa
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — The government of Kerala will operate chartered flights to repatriate illegal workers from the southern Indian state from next week.
The first of these flights is scheduled for Nov. 20, officials announced.
The state-run Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Department (NORKA) has set up advisory committees, comprising prominent community leaders in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam, to coordinate the efforts to give free tickets for those who have registered at the Riyadh embassy and the Jeddah consulate to return home by taking advantage of the amnesty period.
Saudi Gazette learned from NORKA sources that the department would issue tickets only to those who submit applications through these committees.
Expatriates who are under the red category of the Nitaqat program are entitled to get free tickets. They should approach the committees to submit the application form, which is available on the NORKA website (www.norkaroots.net).
NORKA will consider only forms duly filled and sent together with copies of their passport and exit printout, plus the recommendation letter from the committee for tickets. Those who got final exit stamps from deportation centers will be given priority while issuing tickets, the source said.
The Jeddah advisory committee welcomed the state government’s decision to operate special flights to repatriate illegal workers from the Kingdom.
The meeting decided to approach the government with a demand to reimburse ticket fare to those who have already returned taking advantage of the amnesty announced by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, said K.T.A. Muneer, a member of the committee. Other members are V. K. Abdul Rauf, Abdul Majeed Naha, Ahmed Palayat and Pazheri Kunhi Mohammed.
The meeting was presided over by K.P. Mohammed Kutty, chairman of the Kerala State Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants (ODEPC). K M. Shareef Kunju, P.P. Raheem, Kunhavutty A. Qader, Abbas Chemban, Roy Mathew, Sulfikar Othai, Kabeer Kondotty, Abdul Salam Alappuzha, Aboobacker Arimbra, Khalilurahman, Shibu Thiruvananthapuram, Sakeer Hussain Edavanna and K.V.A Ghafour spoke on the occasion.
Members of the advisory committee in Riyadh are Kunju Kumbala, Abdullah Vallanchira, Shaji Alappuzha, Kunnummal Koya, and K.R. Unnikrishnan while Dammam region members are C. Hashim, P.M. Najeeb, Biju Kallumala, Qadar Chenkala and Muhammad Abdul Kareem Azad.
Kerala's Cabinet on Wednesday decided to implement a special package for workers returning from the Gulf. The package includes provisions for setting up help desks in different cities in Kerala, operating chartered flights for the returnees, arranging all travel facilities, in addition to implementing a rehabilitation scheme. Chief Minister and NORKA Chairman Oommen Chandy, who chaired the Cabinet session, said the government would bear the travel expenses of the returnees. So far, 13,000 of about 1 million Keralites working in Saudi Arabia returned home.
K.C. Joseph, Minister for Diaspora and Vice Chairman of NORKA, said the government will offer full support to returnees who wish to start business or industrial ventures. The government will also take steps to facilitate finding jobs for them in other Gulf countries, he said. Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi announced on Tuesday that a total of 134,000 Indians are returning from the Kingdom by taking advantage of the royal reprieve.
