Punjab govt to come out with NRI policy

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Cabinet minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Wednesday said that the state government will come out with a new policy for NRIs in order to address their issues effectively.

Mr Dhaliwal chaired a meeting with the senior officers of the NRI department here and discussed the draft of new Non-Resident Indian (NRI) policy with them and with members of the NRI Commission, Punjab, according to an official statement.

Mr Dhaliwal said the Punjab government has launched a programme to connect NRI Punjabi youths with their roots.

The government will also launch a programme for the NRI Punjabi elderly people in order to provide them with free travel to religious and historical places of the state.

The NRI Affairs minister said the efforts were being made to establish NRI Lok Adalats on the lines of civil Lok Adalats to resolve their issues.

In these courts, land and marriage disputes, especially, will be settled on the spot by mutual consent, which will have a legal recognition, he said.

Another important decision taken in the meeting was that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann would be requested to deploy a Punjab Civil Services level officer as a nodal officer in each district for a prompt hearing of the NRIs' issues.

Usually, there are many cases of encroachment of NRI lands, and to provide relief to NRIs, it has been decided that a law would be introduced to prevent change of 'girdwari' without the consent of NRIs.

It was also decided that a panel of lawyers from the Advocate General's office will be appointed to give legal assistance to the NRI Punjabis.

"NRIs will be able to take legal assistance from these lawyers if needed," he said.