News - Issue -2 June 15, 2007

• It is rainy season back home. The annual monsoon rains, lashed Kerala on 29th May, four days ahead of the normal date of June 1.
  
• The Kerala Government is planning to set up a welfare fund for Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs). The fund will also be used for proposed NRI pension scheme (details awaited).
  
• The combined wealth of the over 20 million strong Indian diasporas is estimated at over a trillion dollars, more than India's entire economy
  
• Indian Government has signed agreement with Kuwait and the UAE to protect the interests of NRIs. It includes Disputes Resolution Committees as well.
  
• There are some fraudulent websites operating which promises to provide “World Passport” for $600. Possession of such fake passports is a crime.
  
• Indian Government has opened a facilitation centre in association with Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi to provide assistance to Non-Resident Indians.
  
• A group of Keralites from Qatar called ‘Friends of Thiruvalla’, are going to release a film called ‘Thaniya’ (Alone), it is a story of NRKs in Gulf.
  
• Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, commenced operations to Kerala from May 30 with the inaugural flight from Abu Dhabi to Thiruvananthapuram.
  
• Hundreds of Indians students are hit by Britain's stringent new immigration rules that allegedly disenfranchise non-European nationals who hold Highly Skilled Migrant visas.
  
• Haj house in Karipur would start functioning from December. It will have all facilities for Haj pilgrims, including customs clearance. Its capacity is 1000 Haj pilgrims at a time.
  
• National Waterway II between Kochi and Kollam would be made functional by March 2009.