4.13 lakh Non-Resident Keralites register to return back to Kerala

The total number of Non-Resident Keralites registered to return back to Kerala through the non-resident Keralite affairs - NORKA Roots has reached 4.13 lakh. Of those registered to return from other states, the highest is from Karnataka (49233), followed by Tamil Nadu (45,491) and Maharashtra (20,869).

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): At least four lakh Keralites from abroad, including over 9,000 pregnant women, have registered in the NORKA website to return to the state once the Centre gives its nod to open the skies after lockdown travel restrictions are eased.

NORKA (Non-Resident Keralites Affairs) department said at least 1.5 lakh Keralites from other states have also registered in its website to return after the centre opens inter-state borders.

"As of now, 4.13 lakh Keralites from various countries have registered in the Norka website to return to Kerala due to the pandemic COVID-19 crisis. At least 1,50,054 Keralites from other states have also registered with the website to come back to the state," NORKA said in a release. It also said out of the 4.13 lakh Keralites, 61,009 lost their jobs and 9,827 are pregnant women.

"Apart from those, there are 10,628 children and 11,256 elderly persons.

At least 2,902 students who have completed their studies have also registered to return to the state. There are 41,236 people with expired visiting visas and 27,100 with expired visas," Norka said.

It said 806 people released from prisons in various countries have also registered to return. NORKA had also said that details of people who have registered with it would be shared with the Ministry of External Affairs and Embassies in respective countries and would request to give priority to the preferred categories announced earlier.

Out of the 1.5 lakh Keralites from other states, over 50,000 are from Karnataka and 45,491 from Tamil Nadu. At least 20,869 from Maharashtra have registered with Norka to return to the state, the release said.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)