Loka Kerala Sabha delegates and invitees have urged Kerala government to immediately announce a welfare package for the non-resident Keralites who died due to COVID-19 in foreign countries and different parts of India.
"Plenty of Keralites have succumbed to COVID-19 in different parts of the world and in India. Many families had lost their sole breadwinners. The government should immediately announce a welfare package from the bereaved families," requested the petition addressed to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Loka Kerala Sabha, or World Kerala Assembly, is an event organised by the Kerala government to utilise the expertise of non-resident Keralites for the development of the state. The delegates were picked by a committee constituted by the state government.
The petition, endorsed by 186 members of Loka Kerala Sabha and special invitees, was submitted to the chief minister by Loka Kerala Sabha member from Sultanate of Oman P M Jabir.
The petition noted that a monetary support could be a big step in rehabilitating the affected families.
"The government should define a structured protocol considering factors, such as the financial soundness and the families consent. The government should use the services of governmental bodies, such as Department of Non-Resident Keralites (NORKA), Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board and Loka Kerala Sabha, to reach out tot he bereaved families quickly," the petition urged.
It also stated that the state government should lobby with the central government to secure funds.
Till Sunday, 210 Keralites succumbed to COVID-19 in different parts of the world. Of them, 161 were from six Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries.
