With a view to resolving the cases pertaining to NRIs, the Punjab government has set up three more NRI police stations in Jalandhar (rural), Ludhiana (rural) and Amritsar, bringing the number of NRI police stations in the state to nine.
Bikram Singh Majithia, minister for NRI affairs, said the initiative was intended exclusively for non-resident Punjabis to redress their complaints in a time-bound manner.
He said that in 2008, six police stations were set up by the SAD-BJP government for NRIs at Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Moga, Nawanshahr and Kapurthala. "Now keeping in view the demand of NRIs (Punjabis), the number has been increased to nine as three more NRI police stations have been set up in Jalandhar (rural), Ludhiana (rural) and Amritsar," he said.
The minister maintained that the state government had solved many cases related to matrimonial issues of NRIs with the help of the community affairs division in collaboration with the women's commission. Majithia said 296 complaints had been redressed till June this year by the NRI Cell, Punjab.
He said that as per directions of the Punjab government, no FIR would be registered against an NRI without investigation by a DSP. "The Punjab government has deputed an IG-rank officer to directly look into the complaints of the NRIs," he said.
{{/usCountry}}He said that as per directions of the Punjab government, no FIR would be registered against an NRI without investigation by a DSP. "The Punjab government has deputed an IG-rank officer to directly look into the complaints of the NRIs," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Majithia said if an NRI is not satisfied with the investigation at the lower level he could directly approach IGP, Community Division, at the police headquarters.
NRI affairs IG Gurpreet Kaur Deo, while talking about the initiatives of the state government for NRI Punjabis, said a new page had specifically been designed to redress the complaints of NRIs on the Punjab Police website, www.punjabpolice.gov.in.
She said NRIs could also email their complaints at pbpolicenri@yahoo.co.uk and nri.pbpolice@gmail.com. She said the state government had also started a helpline number for NRIs.