Good news for expats! Kerala mulls passenger ship service to Gulf to avert expensive air travel
Kerala is preparing to start a passenger ship service between the coast of the southern state and the Gulf nations in order to offer affordable travel for Kerala expatriates in the Middle East who currently need to pay exorbitant airline fees for visiting their home.
FollowThiruvananthapuram: The CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala is preparing to start a passenger ship service between the coast of the southern state and the Gulf nations in order to offer affordable travel for Kerala expatriates in the Middle East who currently need to pay exorbitant airline fees for visiting their home.
According to state Port Minister Ahammad Devarkovil, a high-level meeting held on Wednesday decided to create a strategy to launch a passenger ship service between Kerala and the Gulf. The minister claimed that during the holiday season, airline companies charge excessive fees to regular expatriates.
They are required to set aside the majority of their limited finances for travel, according to Devarkovil.
The Malabar Development Council and Kerala Maritime Board hosted a high-level meeting when the project was discussed, according to the minister.
According to Devarkovil, the government intends to start the ship service with the Department of Non-Resident Keralites' Affairs (NORKA), the recognized representative of the ethnic Kerala diaspora.
The minister claimed via a Facebook post that the LDF administration has set aside Rs 15 crore in this year's budget to address expats' travel issues. The idea is to start the ship service using this amount also, he said.
The meeting was attended by Kerala Maritime Board Chairman N S Pillai, CEO Salim Kumar, NORKA General Manager Ajith Kolassery, MDC President C E Chakunni, office bearers M K Ayyappan, Zubair, and others.
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