Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said that the demand for voting rights by NRIs in the Gulf has a convincing basis and that the proposal for granting voting rights to Indians living abroad is at an advanced stage of consideration.
"Of all the categories, overseas Indians in the Gulf are unique. They are NRIs who will never become citizens of those countries," Singh said inaugurating the fourth annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Hyderabad.
"We hope to take appropriate measures in this regard soon," Manmohan Singh said to all-round applause from over 1,200 delegates at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre at the HITEC city.
"Most of them have immediate families back in India and have thus a vital stake in local governance, including the issue of who would represent them in the state assembly or the national parliament," the PM said.
"Their demand seeking voting rights at home has, therefore, a convincing political basis. This proposal is at an advanced stage of consideration by our government. We hope to take appropriate measures in this regard soon," the Prime Minister said.
Some 3.6 million Indians live in the Gulf. The largest number, 1.5 million, live in Saudi Arabia, one million in the United Arab Emirates, almost half-a-million each in Oman and Kuwait, and around 100,000 each in Bahrain and Qatar.
{{/usCountry}}Some 3.6 million Indians live in the Gulf. The largest number, 1.5 million, live in Saudi Arabia, one million in the United Arab Emirates, almost half-a-million each in Oman and Kuwait, and around 100,000 each in Bahrain and Qatar.
{{/usCountry}}Last month, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Oscar Fernandes had said that NRIs may get voting rights and the ultimate decision in this regard shall be taken by the Union Cabinet.
Addressing over 1,500 strong Indian disapora, Singh further said that besides granting voting rights, the government proposed to improve the efficiency of financial and consular services for NRIs.
Easy-to-use remittance facility
He announced an easy-to-use remittance facility -- affordable and efficient. The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in partnership with the Unit Trust of India will develop the electronic integrated gateway, which will be launched by Finance Minister P Chidambaram today.
Bima Yojana for NRIs
He also announced a Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana which will come into effect from from February 1, 2006. This shall provide enhanced benefits to Indian workers abroad.
New emigration process
Singh also stressed on the need to streamline and modernise the emigration process to create awareness among workers about their rights and obligations and develop skills of workers by setting up credible mechanisms for certification of the same.
The Govt also aims to forge partnerships with AAPI, NASSCOM, CII, FICCI to bring domain knowledge and outreach capacity.
He said if India was viewed today as a knowledge economy, it was because of the reputation that many NRIs and persons of Indian origin (PIOs) had earned for the country's knowledge institutions.
He also talked about the idea of setting up a University of People of Indian Origin that will help to "secure access to educational opportunities" in India for children of NRIs and PIOs.
He said India needed "organisations like the British Council" that will act as an institutional interface between the country and students coming to India from abroad.
PIOs lauded
The Prime Minister talked about the remarkable contribution by PIOs to the modernisation and transformation of Mauritius and invited "many enterprising citizens of Mauritius" who trace their ancestry to Bihar to "come and help transform Bihar".
Calling PIOs the world over as symbols of the "spirit of a free people", he said the idea of connecting with NRIs and PIOs was the "most important element of our globalisation".
Saying this was the time to think big and think boldly, he told delegates that they should see India as a land of opportunity "that places premium on enterprise and creativity" whose government is "committed to create a hospitable climate for investment and enterprise".