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Kerala announces rehabilitation project for expats who returned home
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said at least 60 per cent of the expatriates who returned home have lost their jobs and it is the duty of the government to rehabilitate them and make use of their expertise.
The Kerala government on Wednesday announced the “Dream Kerala Project” to rehabilitate expatriates who returned amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said at least 60 per cent of the returnees have lost their jobs and it is the duty of the government to rehabilitate them and make use of their expertise. “Their contributions are immense. They played a key role in the development of the state. It is our duty to help them,” he said.
The CM said ideas will be invited from expatriates and public for new projects and after vetting them they will be implemented in a time-bound manner. “We have formed three different committees and we are planning to start these projects in 100 days. We will engage them and make use of their expertise for the development of the state,” the CM said adding these projects include IT, biotech, small-scale units, farming and food processing. But he did not spell out the exact plan allocation for the project.
He said 870 flights arrived from six west Asian countries since the first week of May, out of which 446 were from the United Arab Emirates. Almost 1,50,000 expatriates have returned and the state is expecting at least 2.50 lakh more, he said. When the state government started a website for those who want to return in May first week at least 4.50 lakh registered. There are an estimated 18 lakh people from the state working in Gulf countries. Many of the expatriates were rendered jobless amid the pandemic and were forced to return.
Meanwhile, as Covid-19 cases continue to rise, the government has also decided to include private hospitals in Covid-19 treatment. It has also asked teachers and government servants to be part of the ongoing fight against the pandemic. “It is a joint fight. All should be part of it,” he said.
After 60 CISF personnel tested positive in Kannur airport the state government has deputed a senior officer to coordinate their treatment. Some of these personnel have joined duty after long leave infecting others also, health officials said.
Kerala reported 151 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday taking the tally to 4,592. Out of this figure, 2,435 have recovered while 2,130 are active cases. The state has reported 25 deaths so far. Its death rate is under one per cent and the recovery rate is the highest in the country.
