Indian Community Welfare Fund

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs provides an amount upto a maximum of Rs.15 lakh to a country in proportion to the size of the Indian work force working in that country. The Ministry’s contribution is initially for a period of 3 years or till the fund becomes self sustaining, whichever is earlier. The amount is released annually and is limited to meet the deficit in the financial resources of the missions with due regard to the utilization of the amount released during previous years. The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) Indian Missions is placed at the disposal of the Heads of Missions and the Mission keeps the record of utilization of fund and beneficiaries. The Ministry has extended the ICWF in Indian Missions across the world.

The Indian Community Welfare Fund is aimed at providing ‘on site' welfare services on a means tested basis in the most deserving cases including: (i) Boarding and lodging for distressed overseas Indian workers in household / domestic sectors and unskilled labourers; (ii) Extending emergency medical care to the overseas Indians in need; (iii) Providing air passage to stranded overseas Indians in need; (iv) Providing initial legal assistance to the overseas Indians in deserving cases, (v) Expenditure on incidentals and for airlifting the mortal remains to India or local cremation/burial of the deceased overseas Indian in such cases where a sponsor is unable or unwilling to do so as per the contract and the family is unable to meet the cost. The procedure for disbursement of the fund is as under:

i. The Head of Mission will consider requests, written or verbal, depending upon the seriousness or sensitivity of the circumstances on a case to case basis.

ii. The Officer in charge of the Labour Wing or the Officer designated for the purpose by the HOM will examine the case and forward his recommendation for HOM’s approval. iii Assistance towards boarding expenses per head will be fixed to a limit as approved by the HOM subject to a maximum of 15 days.

The expenditure on incidentals and for airlifting mortal remains to India or local cremation/burial of deceased Overseas Indians in cases where the sponsor is unable or unwilling to do so as per the contract and the family is unable to meet the cost, is covered under ICWF.

Providing initial legal assistance to Overseas Indians in deserving cases on a means tested basis is one of the objectives of the scheme. The Heads of Missions/Posts are empowered to disburse from the ICWF for providing services on a means tested basis in the most deserving cases.