.   Chandigarh  10  January 2011

Chief Secretary Heads NRI Affairs Department:

 Conscious of the problems being faced by the Non-Resident Indians(NRIs) and addressing their issues and grievances on priority basis, Punjab Chief Minister S. Parkash Singh Badal today setup a NRI cell in his office under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. Darbara Singh Guru, with other members including Financial Commissioner Revenue or his secretary level representative and Director General Police or his representative.

Mr. D.S. Mangat OSD to Principal Secretary/Chief Minister will be the Member Secretary of this cell and his contact no. 9417079777 and email address iscm@punjabmail.gov.in.

Disclosing this here today a spokesman of the Chief Minister’s office said that this Cell has been set up by the Chief Minister with a view to quickly respond to the problems being faced by NRIs and to ensure their speedy disposal under time bound programme from different quarters.

He said that the SAD-BJP Government in Punjab has taken path breaking steps to build close relations with the NRIs and has been making sincere efforts to sort out their issues on priority basis.

The Spokesman further said that the Punjab Government has set in motion the process of drastically reforming the system through governance reforms to check the harassment of common people in government offices especially the NRIs. This newly introduced concept will improve the delivery systems in the state.

He said that the government had already taken revolutionary steps for protecting the properties of NRIs and introducing online system for securing revenue documents & farads, copies of the FIRs. Dedicated police-stations for NRIs have been established and Exclusive and fast track courts have been set up to resolve their disputes. He said that the government has already done away with the unnecessary but cumbersome practice of filing affidavits in many spheres.