Thiruvananthapuram: J K  Menon, Director of NORKA and Chairman of ABN Corporation, attracted attention at the Loka Kerala Sabha by raising key demands to address the challenges faced by expatriate Keralites. He stressed the urgent need for a comprehensive framework covering housing, financial security, and psychological counselling, highlighting that these issues affect lakhs of Malayalis living abroad as well as those returning home.

Highlighting the housing difficulties, Menon noted that many expatriates’ dreams of owning a house in Kerala remain unfulfilled due to banking limitations, documentation hurdles, and legal obstacles in housing loans. He proposed a dedicated housing scheme developed jointly by the Expatriate Welfare Board and financial institutions, which would provide lasting relief, security, and dignity to ordinary expatriates.

Menon also called for safe and transparent investment avenues within public sector undertakings for expatriates. Such initiatives, he said, would empower them to invest confidently in Kerala while helping revive loss-making public enterprises, creating a sustainable development model. He emphasized that expatriates are eager to contribute to the state’s growth if provided with structured opportunities.

Addressing returning expatriates, Menon pointed out that thousands who come back after decades abroad often struggle to adapt to Kerala’s job market and social systems. He recommended a reintegration support programme including skill upgrading, entrepreneurial mentoring, job placement, and professional networking, ensuring that returnees can contribute effectively to Kerala’s economy and society. He also urged the government, in collaboration with NORKA, to establish counselling centres and helplines to support expatriates facing isolation, cultural shock, and mental health challenges.

Concluding, Menon said the importance of the Loka Kerala Sabha lies in the government’s recognition that expatriate issues require systematic solutions rather than sympathy. While acknowledging that some concerns, such as voting rights, remain unresolved, he said the Sabha provides a platform for formally representing the social, economic, and cultural challenges of expatriates, who have played a vital role in Kerala’s progress.