Around 75 complainants, including NRIs, assembled at an event in Amritsar to voice out grievances of residents in the four districts of Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Tarn Taran and Amritsar. Punjab minister for NRI Affairs Dr. Ravjot Singh organised the meeting, where the NRI community sought a comprehensive overseas Punjabi database and special NRI identity cards in line with the Kerala model.

The Non Resident Indians’ Keralites affairs – NORKA – a Department of the Kerala Government was formed in 1996 to redress the grievances of Non Resident Indians’ Keralites (NRI(K)s). As the first of its kind in any Indian State, NORKA was started in an attempt to strengthen the relationship between the NRI(k)s and the Government of Kerala.

Singh confirmed the resolution of most complaints during the Amritsar event, which saw officials of the NRI affairs department, civil administration and the police come together, demanding the reactivation of NRI courts in Punjab to ensure time-bound disposal of cases.

Directions were issued to concerned officials, including those in the revenue department, to resolve the remaining issues in a time-bound manner, said Singh, adding, “I assure our NRIs that our doors are always open for you to resolve your issues.”

Yet another key demand was for a dedicated NRI Act to address issues faced by overseas Punjabis and the formation of a panel to draft laws on property disputes, inheritance, policing and other NRI-related matters.

Speaking from Melbourne, NRI Sabha president Parvinder Kaur said one of the strongest demands was the reappointment of NRI lambardars in villages to protect NRI-owned properties from encroachment and disputes.

Kaur, the first female president of NRI Sabha since 1997, sought greater powers for NRI police stations in order to prevent avoidable delays while addressing legal and civil cases. – editor@nrifocus.com