Global Money Exchange in Association with Kerala
Non-Resident Kerala Welfare Board(KNRKWB) has launched the
facility to remit Application Fee, Contribution and Penalty
payments for subscribing to and contributing to the KNRKWB.
A large number of people are living outside India. Among them a good percentage
belongs to lower or middle income group. This large group of middle-lower income
group faces many fundamental problems during their life in the Gulf/other foreign
countries and also when they return to their homeland. The saving habits and
rehabilitation facilities available to them are not very promising. Similarly a good
percentage of Keralites is living outside Kerala, but within India for their being. These
Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs-India) are also facing similar circumstances as the NRKs
abroad.
Realising such circumstances, Kerala State came forward with a unique initiative, first of
its kind in the country, to setup a welfare fund to provide welfare schemes to NRKs
(abroad) and NRKs (in India). Kerala Non-Resident Keralites Welfare Board came in to
existence under the Kerala Non-Resident Keralites' Welfare Act, 2008 passed in the
Legislative Assembly, Government of Kerala. More than Two lakhs twenty five thousand
NRKs are members in the welfare fund. NRKs abroad, but now returned to India for
permanent settlement after at least two years of foreign employment, can also avail
membership in this Welfare Fund. The Act envisages many welfare schemes such as
pension schemes, family pension schemes, medical aid, death assistance, etc.
.
Benefits to Member -
Pension to members and deemed members who remitted contributions to
the Welfare Fund continuously for a period of not less than five years
and who completed the age of Sixty 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 for education including higher education to the
children of members.
Financial assistance to members incapacitated to attend work due to
permanent physical disability.
Welfare Schemes
The Non-Resident Keralites' Welfare Fund Act, 2008 has developed some welfare
schemes for the benefits of Non-Resident Keralites, such as pension scheme, family
pension scheme, pension scheme for invalids, scheme for financial assistance to
dependents of a deceased member, scheme for financial assistance for medical
treatment, accident–cum-death insurance scheme, scheme for assistance for
marriage of daughters of members, scheme for payment of financial assistance for
maternity, scheme for payment of educational grant, scheme for payment of loan for
housing & self-employment, etc.
(i) Non Resident Keralites of all categories
who remitted contributions to the Welfare Fund continuously up to the age of
Sixty are eligible for a monthly pension of Rs.3000/- (Rupees three thousand
only) after the age of sixty. The membership will be cancelled automatically
if the monthly contributions are not continuously remitted within a period
of one year.
(ii) In the case of members, who remitted contributions continuously for
more than five years, are eligible to get additional pension equivalent to
three percent of the minimum pension prescribed in (i) above, for every
completed year of membership over and above the minimum period of five
years. However the total pension amount thus received shall not exceed twice
the amount of the minimum pension.
If a member who is eligible for superannuation pension has
deceased, any one of his family members (wife, children below the age of
twenty one years, insane children, major unmarried daughter, dependent
mother, and dependent father) shall be eligible for family pension of an
amount equivalent to fifty percent of the eligible pension for the deceased
member
In the case of persons who have remitted contributions continuously
for a minimum period of three years and are unable to perform labour
/ incapable for undertaking any an employment due to conditions of
physical deformity are eligible for an amount as Invalid Pension.
For getting the Invalid Pension, the member is required to produce a
certificate from the doctor who treated the member and also a
certificate from the Medical Board.
(i) In case a member of the Welfare Fund (abroad-Form 1A) deceases
due to illness or accident, one of his/her dependents (wife /
husband, minor children ,unmarried daughter, widowed daughter, mother, father, sister,
brother and otherlegal heirs) is eligible for a maximum financial
assistance of Rs. 50,000/- (Rupees Fifty thousand only)
(ii) In case a member NRK (Form 1B) deceases, one of his/her family
members (asstated above in sub. Para (i)) is eligible for a maximum
financial assistance of Rs.30,000/- (Rupees Thirty thousand only)
A member NRK who is afflicted with critical illness is eligible for
obtaining a maximum financial assistance of Rs. 50,000/- (Rupees
Fifty thousand only) during
the entire period of his/her membership. However, if he/she received
any financial assistance for the same claim from Central or State
Govt. or any other agencies like Norka Roots, Local Self Department
etc, he/she is not eligible to get financial assistance from the
Welfare Fund under this scheme.
The Welfare Fund Board is competent to implement subject to sufficiency of funds, a
scheme to provide assistance in the event of accidental deaths and for medical
treatment of members in association with one of the Nationalized Insurance
Companies. For implementation of this scheme prior sanction of the Govt. is
necessary.
Those member NRKs who have continuously contributed to the Fund at
least for a period of three years shall be eligible to get a
financial assistance of Rs. 10000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand only)
towards marriage expenses for marriage of his/ her two daughters
subject to the following conditions.
a) The financial assistance shall be payable to the member
for a maximum of two times.
b) Only one member NRK of the family (if the others are also
members of the Fund) is eligible for the financial assistance for
this purpose.
(i) Those female members who have remitted contributions continuously for two
years are eligible for a financial assistance of Rs. 3000/- (Rupees Three thousand
only) for meeting their maternity expenses.
(ii) In the case of abortions, they are eligible for a maximum financial assistance of Rs. 2000/- (Rupees Two thousand only).
Maternity Assistance including abortion shall be payable for two times for the whole
membership period.
The children of member NRKs who have continuously remitted the
contributions for a minimum period of two years are eligible for
educational grant for higher studies. The educational courses
eligible for grant range from ITI/ITC/Degree to Post Graduate
professional courses.
According to the Act, a ‘Relief Fund’ has to be created by the Board
for the payment of Loans to the members. After creating the relief
fund, the Board may decide to pay housing loans to the members who
have remitted contributions continuously for a minimum period of
five years, for construction of houses, purchase of land with
building, purchase of land for construction of house, maintenance of
existing building, etc. The Board may also decide whether such loans
may be sanctioned with or without carrying interest. Similarly, from
the ‘Relief Fund’ so created, a repatriated member who remitted
contributions continuously for a minimum period of three years shall
be eligible for obtaining interest- free loans from that Fund, for
self-employment purposes. The amount of loan and other modalities for
payment of loans shall be fixed by the Board from time to time.
Those members who obtained housing loans / self-employment loans
from any other schemes shall not be eligible for any of the loans
under this scheme
