Kerala govt mulls bringing back NRKs after resumption of air services

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government was contemplating bringing back in three phases the expatriates, who are stranded in various countries due to COVID-19 lockdown, once the air services resume.

Elaborate arrangements would be made for the return of the Non-Resident Keralites (NRK)s, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday at a high-level meeting here, a government press release said.

Adequate facilities for their testing and quarantine would be made close to the four international airports in the state and accommodation and hospital facilities would also be provided to them, the release said.

Symptomatic cases would be quarantined and those testing negative would be put under observation in their homes.

An adequate number of houses and rooms had been arranged to host the returnees and efforts were on to identify more such buildings, the CM said.

The state government would request the Union Civil Aviation and External Affairs ministries to bring back the elderly, pregnant women and children those on visiting visas and those suffering from a serious illness in the first phase.

The ex-pats who have lost jobs, whose visas had expired and people released from prisons could be among those considered in the second phase while the remaining would be brought back later.

Officials would hold discussions with airlines and request reduced airfare for the NRKs.