14 lakhs of emigrants had returned to their homelands after losing their livelihood on the background of covid-19. The emigrants had spent majority of their lives away from their motherlands and had been earning for their own families. They had played a key role in strengthening the economy of Kerala. This is a Financial Security Programme being launched for the welfare of the emigrants who had returned to Kerala losing their livelihoods. PEARL is the emigrant survival programme being implemented by Kudumbashree as part of the 'Pravasi Bhadratha' Nano Programme implemented by the Norka Department. The interest free loan for starting new enterprises through Kudumbashree is provided to the jobless emigrants from the amount allocated by the Norka Roots for the welfare of the emigrants.

Interest Free loan and other support would be provided via Kudumbashree for starting enterprises through this programme. Financial support would be provided to the members of the newly formed women auxiliary groups as part of Kudumbashree, if they or their family members are jobless emigrants, to form enterprises through this programme.

Objectives

• To minimize the insecurity of the jobless emigrants.

• Provide Interest Free loan to the emigrants who had returned to the homelands after losing their livelihood, for income generating opportunities.

• Provide skill training for starting enterprises.

• Ensure financial independence by securing steady income for jobless emigrants.

Beneficiaries

• The candidates should be emigrants who had lost their livelihood in the background of covid-19. They should be the family members of Kudumbashree NHG members.

• They should either be family members of a Kudumbashree member who holds an NHG membership for a period of at least 6 months or be the family members of the newly formed women auxiliary groups of Kudumbashree. That is the eligibility criteria for becoming the beneficiaries of the programme.

• The beneficiary should have been an emigrant for at least 2 years. The beneficiaries of the programme can be either men or women.

• The family members of the emigrants who had died due to covid-19 can also become part of the programme.

• If the jobless emigrant is a patient, their family members can also become the beneficiaries of the programme.

• Those who have already started the enterprise can expand the same through this programme.

Financial Support

The selected beneficiaries would be given the financial support of a maximum of Rs 2 lakhs per individual or 75% of the total project cost of the enterprise, whichever is lower. The amount would be given as Interest Free Loan. The beneficiaries should repay this Interest Free Loan as equal installments within 2 years (21 months) after the moratorium period. If the enterprise is not started after availing the interest free loan or if the enterprise stops functioning within the repayment period, the amount should be repaid within a period of 6 months.