Making out a strong case for increase in budgetary support, the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has demanded allocation of additional Rs 100 crore for providing social security net to workers returning after having lost jobs abroad due to the global economic crisis.
"We have sought an allocation of Rs 100 crore to create the fund. I have already made a representation to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to give us the amount in the coming budget," Minister of Overseas Indian affairs Vayalar Ravi told PTI in an interview.
He said the fund will be utilised to offer help to those Indian workers who have returned to India from foreign countries, particularly from the Gulf region, following the global slowdown.
"This is one of my ambitious schemes to have a welfare fund for the workers who have comeback to the country after losing their jobs abroad. I want to give them some kind of protection," Ravi said adding "there are five million Indian workers in the Gulf. When they come back, I have to do something for them."
Although the fund will initially be set up with budgetary support, the Minister said the contributions of the overseas employees will also be sought to strengthen it. "I want to make it a contributory fund."
As per official data, nearly two lakh Indian workers come back to the country every year and the number has increased phenomenally in the last one year due to the financial crisis.
Ravi said his Ministry has also sought 50 per cent hike in budgetary allocation to implement various schemes for welfare of the overseas workers.
"With the small amount of Rs 55-60 crore, I could manage work worth Rs 50,000 crore. I represented the Finance Minister to give us around Rs 85 crore apart from the Rs 100 crore for the welfare fund," he said.
Asked about his priorities for his Ministry in his second innings, Ravi said he would like complete the work that he has initiated in the first tenure.
The Minister said his another big ambition is to create a fund called India Development Fund through which NRIs would be provided with a platform to undertake various social welfare projects in rural India.
"It one of my most ambitious programmes. It could spread its wings all over India. I will try to attract NRIs for any kind project they want to undertake in rural areas through this fund," he said.
Ravi said the projects would be implemented by the Ministry with all "transparency" by taking help of NGOs.
Giving an example, the Minister said if an NRI wants to build a hospital or a school in a village in India, he can contribute to the fund and the Ministry would implement the project.
"It has to take off. We are on the job," he said.
