Kerala govt extends financial assistance to Saudi returnee

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Wednesday extended financial assistance to a Malayalee youth, who was among a group of Indians returned from Saudi Arabia after losing job.

Asif was the lone Keralite in the batch who reached New Delhi in a flight in the wee hours today.

He was among around 300 Indians, who were employed in a construction company in Saudi and had to leave that country after losing job, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a Facebook post.

Asif was received by the representatives of the state government, who took him to the Kerala House in Delhi.

"He will be given food and accommodation in Kerala House till his flight ticket to the state is ready. Besides the ticket fare, Rs 2,000 was granted to him as pocket money also," the Chief Minister said.

Asif was also given details of various skill development programmes which would benefit the Gulf returnees, the post added.

The CPI(M)-led LDF government had earlier announced that it would give ticket fares to Keralites who lost job and got stranded in Saudi Arabia to reach the home state.