Kerala sets up legal aid cell for NRKs

The Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (Norka) Department has set up a legal aid cell and a distress relief fund for NRKs as part of its welfare measures, according to Norka Minister M. M. Hassan.

He told the media here that the cell would give free legal advice and guidance to NRKs and their families, while the relief fund, titled 'Santhwana,' would function for the benefit of NRK returnees on the lines of the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund.

The cell, consisting of retired Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Court, would provide free legal advice and guidance, while a nominal fee would be charged for litigation.

The cell had been set up by the Roots-NRK Development Initiative in association with the Niyama Sameeksha (NISA) Trust under Justice K. Sukumaran. Those requiring the cell's services could contact the Norka Department or the Roots in the State capital or the NISA in Kochi.

The fund would extend financial assistance by way of grant to returnees and families of NRKs facing hardship. The aid could be for medical treatment, death related matters or marriages of returnees‚ children. The scheme would cover only returnees with an annual income of not more than Rs30,000.

Re-integration training programme would be launched for returnees to cope with the changed conditions in the State. Training would also be given to develop expertise and skills for starting self-employment ventures.