The Punjab Congress will come up with an NRI-specific manifesto ahead of the coming Assembly elections.
PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, during an interaction with NRIs on the platform of Overseas Indian Congress, said his priority was to ensure legal rights of the NRIs, as over 10,000 cases of property-related litigation was pending. He wrote in his Tweet, “Punjab Model considers NRI’s as powerhouse of knowledge, people with better governance experience who have soulful connection with Punjab. an enabling force. It aims to reinstate their trust in system and to make them shareholders, investing in Health, Education & Entrepreneurship.”
Adopting a holistic approach, the Congress aims to set up a tribunal to fast-track cases of usurping of NRIs’ properties. Under the manifesto, legal aid centres, 24×7 helpline will be set up and encumbrance-free property transactions will be done.
Sidhu said as the government has no database, an NRI Commission would be set up for single-window redress of complaints. The issues related to financial discrimination, matrimonial disputes and exploitation.
Besides, an NRI card will enable them to connect with the state government. This multi-purpose photo ID card would entitled every NRIs to avail all services and facilities offered by the government. NRI cardholders would be given special preference in government offices (tehsils, etc.) for redress of their issues.
He said the single-window online clearance system would be provided for all approvals for NRI investments. NRIs would could open BPO’s, call centres, data centres and back-end offices in Punjab. “We want to get their investment on an equal footing so that they also earn profits and give benefits to Punjab in terms of job creation and taxes.”
