Indian Community Welfare Fund

Indian Community Welfare Fund, ICWF has been set up in all Indian missions by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. The Fund has become operational at Indian Missions in all the 17 Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) Countries from 1st of January this year

The countries are United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, Thailand, and Iraq

Objective: To assist emigrant Indian nationals in distress overseas. To provide following services on a means tested basis in the most deserving cases:

• 1. Boarding and lodging for distressed Overseas Indian Workers in household / domestic sectors and unskilled labourers.
• Extending emergency medical care to the Overseas Indians in need.
• Providing air passage to the stranded Overseas Indians in need.
• Providing initial legal assistance to the Overseas Indians in deserving cases.
• Expenditure on incidentals and for airlifting the mortal remains to India or local cremations / burial of the deceased Overseas Indians in such cases where the sponsor is unable or unwilling to do so as per the contract and the family is unable to meet the cost

The contingency expenditure incurred by the Indian Missions abroad for carrying out these welfare activities will be met by MOIA.

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs will provide the budgetary support for the Fund. This will be in proportion to the size of Indian workforce subject to a maximum of Rs. 15 lakh each for Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and Malaysia. For the remaining 10 ECR countries, an amount of Rs. 5 lakh each will be granted

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2011