Lakhs of Gulf job seekers from Kerala to be hit hard by Norka crisis

The Union Government has suspended the operations of Congress mouthpiece Veekshanan daily and Norka-Roots, a wing of Kerala Government's Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Department. The decision was taken as part of efforts to curb circulation of black money in the country. 

The Centre has also disqualified several persons including former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and Congress leaders V M Sudheeran, M M Hassan, Benny Behanan and P P Thankachan. Prominent entrepreneurs like Yusuff Ali M A, owner of Lulu Group International, Dr Azad Moopen, the chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare and B Ravi Pillai, the founder and managing director of RP Group of Companies.

The Centre has disqualified over one and a half lakh persons from being the directors of companies, and they won't be able to serve in the post of any other company for the next five years. 

Also read: Name and shame: Chandy, Yusuff Ali, Sasikala in Centre's infamous 'fraud' list

The decision was taken after companies failed to submit their annual returns and financial statements for three consecutive years even after Centre's order. As per the Companies Act, 2013, directors of a firm that failed to file the financial report for three years would not be entitled to reappointment in the company or any other firm for next five years.

However, it is not clear how Norka Roots, a government entity, entered the list. The state government has requested Centre to review the action. 

Norka Roots is one of the three agencies authorised by Centre to conduct nursing recruitment for foreign companies. The agency also conducts recruitment to other job openings in foreign countries, especially the Middle East. 
 

• Oommen Chandy
• Ramesh Chennithala
• Yusuff Ali
• Lulu
• fraud
• money laundering