Thiruvananthapuram: The number of Diasporas returning from foreign countries to Kerala due to Covid has crossed 14 lakh, of which about 10 lakh has cited job loss due to COVID-19, informed Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal on Thursday.

Finance Minister said that Kerala would request for a special COVID package from the Centre in the light  the issues faced by the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) population who were forced to return home.  Due to various challenges including the COVID induced lockdown, Balagopal said the state is reeling under a serious financial crisis in the ongoing financial year too. "The COVID pandemic has severely affected tax and non-tax revenue collection. But as a duty of the government we are carrying out various welfare schemes for people hit hard by the pandemic. Short term and long term plans have been devised and a stimulus package of Rs 20,000 crore was already declared in the budget," he said.

"The peculiar situation Kerala is undergoing will be taken up with the Centre as a large number of the expat population was forced to return home due to COVID." he said.

"The government through the package has declared subsidised loans to various sectors. Through interest subvention scheme, the government has helped industries, traders and MSMEs. This will continue," he added.

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