Cases pile up: 8 months on, Punjab NRI commission remains headless & memberless
The commission, set up to protect and safeguard the interests of NRIs in the state and recommend remedial measures for their welfare, does not have a chairman or member
The Punjab State Commission for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) has been virtually defunct for the past eight months.
The commission, set up to protect and safeguard the interests of NRIs in the state and recommend remedial measures for their welfare, does not have a chairman or member.
The three-year term of NRI commission chairman Justice Shekhar Kumar Dhawan and four members - retired IAS officer MP Singh, retired IPS officer Hardeep Singh Dhillon, Gurjit Singh Lehal and Sarvinder Singh Sidhu, ended earlier this year, but the state government is yet to make fresh appointments.
Justice Dhawan, MP Singh, Lehal and Sidhu completed their term in February this year, whereas Dhillon’s tenure was till August. The NRI affairs department had submitted the proposal for the appointment of the new chairman and members almost a month before the term of the chairman and panel members ended, two officials privy to the information said on the condition of anonymity, pointing out that the work at the commission had come to a standstill.
One of the officials quoted above put the number of complaints pending with the commission at more than 1,000, including 200 fresh ones received from the NRIs. The commission has been primarily dealing with complaints regarding NRI men marrying women in the state and then abandoning them and disputes involving the land and properties of NRIs. “Almost 50% of the complaints received by the commission during my tenure were related to NRI marriages. In cases where the NRI men were Indian citizens or passport holders and the complaints were found genuine, we used to recommend the cancellation of their passports,” MP Singh had told HT last week.
The commission also took suo motu (on its own) cognizance in some cases and issued directions to civil administration and police officials. As per data released by the ministry of external affairs (MEA), between 2015 and 2019, the Indian government has dealt with a total of 6,094 complaints against NRI men who have abandoned/abused their wives and the maximum number of cases were reported from Punjab, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat among others. The Law Commission of India is planning to send suggestions to the Centre on amending the NRI marriage bill, so that it is tougher on those who abandon their spouses abroad. The MEA had recently asked the Law Commission to examine the lacunae in present concerned laws which lead to issues like abandoning partners especially brides in NRI marriages.
Principal Secretary, NRI affairs department, Dilip Kumar did not answer calls and messages. A department official, however, said the matter was pending with the state government. “A meeting will be chaired by the chief minister very shortly to take a decision on the matter,” the official added. The commission was established under the Punjab State Commission for NRIs Act, 2011, by the then government with powers of a civil court. The commission, according to the Act, is headed by a retired judge of the high court. The other members include an IAS officer not below the rank of principal secretary or financial commissioner to the state government and an IPS officer not below the rank of additional director general of police (ADGP). Two members are nominated from among persons having knowledge of matters and issues relating to NRIs.