Mansoor Palloor meeting Chief Minister VD Satheesam
Indian Overseas Congress - Middle East has submitted a memorandum to Kerala Chief Minister Shri V.D. Satheesan highlighting several key issues concerning the global Malayali community and with suggestions related to Kerala’s future development.
Mansoor Palloor, Middle East Convenor of Indian Overseas Congress, foreign affairs observer, and writer, met the Chief Minister in this regard and brought to his attention the pressing demands of expatriate Keralites in the Gulf region.
In the memorandum, Mansoor Palloor conveyed his congratulations to the Chief Minister and the newly formed Council of Ministers. He also expressed hope that the new government would lead Kerala towards inclusive development, transparency, and progressive governance.
One of the major issues highlighted in the memorandum was the need to remove operational restrictions affecting Kannur International Airport. Despite being one of India’s most modern airports and serving lakhs of expatriates from North Kerala, foreign airlines continue to face operational limitations due to the absence of “Point of Call” status from the DGCA. The memorandum urged the state government to intervene with the Central Government to facilitate more international services, especially to GCC countries, and to allow greater access for foreign airlines.
The memorandum also proposed the creation of a centralised digital portal to register the skills, work experience, and expertise of expatriates returning from Gulf countries. It suggested tapping this talent pool to launch district-level service enterprises under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models in sectors such as plumbing, electrical works, painting, maintenance, HVAC services, and facility management.
It further called for restructuring the Loka Kerala Sabha into a more professional, transparent, and policy-oriented global Malayali platform. The memorandum recommended the inclusion of meritorious individuals from fields such as business, technology, healthcare, academics, entrepreneurship, media, and culture.
Mansoor Palloor also recommended establishing dedicated expatriate grievance redressal and support centres across GCC countries. The memorandum suggested appointing NORKA consultants strictly on merit to assist expatriates in matters related to legal issues, documentation, emergency medical support, and rehabilitation assistance.
To encourage expatriate investments in Kerala, the memorandum proposed the creation of a fast-track facilitation mechanism for investments in sectors such as tourism, healthcare, startups, renewable energy, and small-scale industries.
The memorandum also recommended welfare measures for struggling expatriates returning to Kerala after long years of service abroad, including affordable health insurance schemes, rehabilitation assistance, and livelihood support programmes.
Another key proposal was the establishment of a “Global Kerala Knowledge and Innovation Network” connecting Malayali professionals, scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators across the world.
Mansoor Palloor expressed hope that the new government would seriously consider the concerns and aspirations of the global Malayali community, which has made significant contributions to Kerala’s economy and social progress for decades.
The Chief Minister assured that the issues raised in the memorandum would be examined seriously and necessary steps taken after due consideration. A copy of the memorandum was also handed over to NORKA Director Shri J.K. Menon.