India would open 40 new consulate sub-offices in the countries where NRIs (non-resident Indians) are settled in strength to provide better facilities and access to them.
Announcing this, Sri Anandpur Sahib MP and Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra maintained that he has received a communication in this regard by the Union Ministry of External Affairs as he has all along been taking up the issue concerning Indians settled abroad, in general, and the Punjabis, in particular.
Chandumajra, addressing a Press conference, said in countries like USA, Canada and Australia, NRIs had to travel long distances to get visa from the consulate offices. “They had been demanding setting up of more sub-offices in their respective countries. This step would go a long way in mitigating their problems,” he said.
He announced that the Government has also agreed to give relaxation to the people from Punjab who have settled abroad in case of “political asylum”. “The Government has informed that they would be allowed to visit India along with their families for two years at a time,” he added.
Chandumajra had earlier been pressing that they should be treated as cases of economic asylum seekers.
He pointed out that a large number of people had sought political asylum in the countries including USA, Canada and Germany despite the fact that they were not active in the politics of militancy. However, once they were granted asylum on political ground, it became impossible for them to visit Punjab, he added.
“I have been pressing the Centre to treat such cases leniently. Political asylum is mainly the excuse to settle abroad,” he added. He said those who had settled abroad seeking political asylum would be allowed to visit the country.