Non Resident Keralites invited for welfare fund

Muscat. The Non Resident Kerala Welfare Fund Board which had its meeting recently in Trivandrum Kerala has called upon all expatriate Malaylees to enroll into the fund. “Several issues were discussed main among them being creating awareness about the fund. The board has called upon all expatriate Malaylees to enroll into the fund. In this regard the board solicited the support of Malayalees associations in the Middle East” said P. M. Jabir who was recently appointed to the board of directors of the NonResident Keralites (NRK) Welfare Fund by the state government of Kerala India. Jabir also informed that as per the new rule it is not necessary to attest the form at the time of applying. “There is a clause that the forms are to be attested by any competent authority. As the Indian embassies are the only such authorities outside India it was practically impossible for an applicant to get the form attested by the embassy for two reasons. One the proximity to the embassies and two the embassies charge an amount equivalent to Rs600 for attesting the form. “As the registration itself will cost only Rs200 it was decided to do away with the attestation. So it is not necessary to attest the form at the time of applying. The attestation can be done as and when required at a later stage” he added.

The forms can be downloaded from the board’s website: www.pravasiwelfarefund.org. “In Oman I have made arrangements for the forms to be available with offcial organisations. It is available at the ISC counter at Darsait and also with both Malayalam wing and Kerala Wing of the Indian Social Club. Both the wings have assured me their wholehearted support and has arranged for the forms to be available on their websites also” he said. Those who need the forms can contact any of the following: Shaji Sebastian (ISC Kerala Wing) 99724669 E. G. Madhu (convenor of ISC Malayalam Wing) – 99381561 K. H. Ashraf – 99699836. In Salalah forms are avail able with Sasi – 99485762. Every Non Resident Keralite who has completed the age of 18 but not completed 55 years of age can be a member of the fund by paying Rs200 as registration fees. Every registered member has to make a monthly contribution of Rs300 for a minimum period of three years to be eligible to get the pension. There are many other benefits like financial assistance to the family on the death of the member financial assistance for the medical treatment of the member financial assistance to the marriage of women members and daughters of the members financial assistance or loan to construct dwelling house or land for that purpose loan for self employment among other things.

Benefits to Members

	Pension to members and deemed members who had completed 60 years of age and had remitted contribution for not less than five years.
	Family pension on the death of a member or a deemed member who had remitted contribution for not less than five years.
	Financial assistance on the death of a member due to illness or accident.
	Financial assistance for medical treatment of the members affected with serious illnesses
	Financial assistance for marriage of women members and daughters of the members and for maternity benefit to women members.
	Financial assistance or loans or advances to members for the construction of dwelling houses or for the purchase of land and building or for the purchase of land or for the maintenance of house.
	Financial assistance for education including higher education to the children of members.
	Self employment assistance to reputed persons
	Financial assistance to members incapacitated to attend work due to permanent physical disability
	Financial assistance investment in any company or firm or co-operative society or institution constituted under the Act.