Centre should intervene to arrange travel facilities for expats, says Kerala CM

Considering the volatile situation in West Asia, the Union government should intervene urgently and arrange more flight services for expats to reach home during the festive season, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.

Wishing Id-ul-Fitr greetings to all expatriates and their families here on Thursday, Mr. Vijayan said Id is usually a happy festive season with expatriates returning home in large numbers. But this time, the journey has been disrupted for many due to lack of sufficient flight services in the wake of the escalating tense situation in West Asia. Even the available flights are overcrowded and charged exorbitantly, rendering the airfares beyond the reach of the common man. Another major concern is whether they will be able to return to their workplaces once they return home, he said.

There is a growing fear among them that if they are unable to return on time due to travel uncertainty, they will have to face problems at work. It is essential to ensure proportionate flight services considering the special circumstances of the expatriate community in Kerala, he said. Addressing their concerns is a much greater responsibility than a social obligation. Therefore, the concerned authorities should be ready to take immediate steps to create comfort and confidence in their minds during festive times like Id, he said.

Stating that the country will stand with its expatriate community in crisis, he said it is most commendable that members of the Loka Kerala Sabha and expatriate organisations in the Gulf countries are coming together to provide assistance to the people in distress in this time of unrest. It is hoped that such interventions will be further strengthened, he said.