Overseas Goans, it seems, have a few good things coming their way, with the state's NRI Commissionerate lining up a slew of welfare measures for them over the past few weeks. Goa, a tiny west coast state of India, is well known not only for its lovely beaches, but also for its endearing and fun-loving people. It has a culture of its own, influenced by more than four centuries of Portuguese occupation.

The Commissioner for NRI Affairs, Eduardo Faleiro, who is a former Union minister, seems to have embarked on the systematic plan to improve the lot of overseas Goans and to enliven their bonds with their roots.

To begin with, the NRI office in Goa is in the process of updating information about Goans and people of Goan origin residing abroad. According to media reports, it has requested information on overseas Goans from all the Indian Ambassadors and High Commissioners in various countries. The purpose of getting the details is to form a data base of all the non-resident Goans (NRGs) and People of Goan Origin (PGOs). One estimate says that nearly 30 per cent of Goa's population is outside Goa . It would help if Goans were to register themselves at their respective embassies. The NRI office has also called upon NRG's and PGO's to register themselves at commissioner_nri@rediffmail.com. An Overseas Goans convention is planned for January next year.

Faleiro has already sentised his commissionerate with regard to receiving complaints from overseas Goans and taking remedial measures.

The state government has decided to establish an overseas employment agency at the commissionerate to provide help to those aspiring to seek employment abroad.

The government has also decided to appoint ‘protectors of emigrants' to protect the interest of overseas Goans. Kerala has already established such an agency, NORKA. According to Faleiro, the agency would save emigrants from exploitation by unscrupulous recruitment agents and foreign employers. The agency would be managed by the state government and the government would appoint a ‘protector of emigrants' in the NRI office. The government, through Indian missions, would seek information on job availability and prepare data-based information at the agency. Besides, the agency would facilitate foreign employers who might want to visit Goa for recruitment. The state government will independently identify the demand for Indian professionals and skilled workers in 185 countries.

Faleiro is also working on the issue of recognition abroad of professional degrees, mainly in engineering, awarded by the state's institutions. He is engaged with the Union Human Resource Development Ministry for permission to the state government for issuing authentication of university and college degrees needed for overseas employment. Goans are finding it difficult in getting authorisation of their degrees as the authorisation is currently being given by the Union Human Resource Development Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry, New Delhi.

A section of Goan media recently reported that the HRD ministry has granted authorisation to the education department.

Several Gulf countries recognise degrees only from engineering colleges accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA). There are no such colleges in Goa. The HRD ministry is learnt to have decided to despatch a representative of the NBA for clearing the hurdles in getting accreditation.

Another issue being actively tackled by Faleiro is that of the settlement of claims of Goan victims of the 1990 Iraq war. Some 200 claimants from Goa have been awarded compensation by the UN Compensation Commission. However, the compensation — ranging from Rs2 lakh to Rs50 lakh — could not be paid to them as their addresses were not available with the External Affairs Ministry. The NRI office has published the lists of these beneficiaries. They are required to contact the special Kuwait cell in the Ministry of External Affairs.The Goa government is also planning to use the Internet to showcase investment opportunities in the state to attract funds from non-resident Goans. A website on the lines of Punjab, would be launched within a month by the State NRI Commissionerate, to provide information and opportunity to NRGs for investment in the state.

Officials feel there are a large number of people, who want to help their village. This website will help them to invest in local communities.

The first real wave of Goan migration to the Gulf began in the 1960s and in the last thirty years of the twentieth century, hundreds of thousands of Goans have moved to the GCC States. Goans who have migrated in recent times to the Gulf, belong to all classes.

The majority of those who migrate are from the age groups of 18 to 35 years, according to a study by the Research Institute for Women, Goa. Yet, as they say “You can take a Goan out of Goa; but you can't take Goa out of a Goan”. Wherever they are, Goans continue to stick to their unique culture and traditions.