NEW DELHI, AUGUST 23, 2004
TNN
The Indian government has issued a notification under which people
of Indian origin (PIO) would have to pay Rs 12,500 to secure Indian
overseas citizenship.
A PIO would enjoy all rights of an Indian citizen, except the right
to employment in government service and exercising franchise or holding
a constitutional post, it was announced here on Monday.
The PIO will not be required to have a visa while visiting India and
can also buy property and enjoy equality with non-resident Indians (NRIs)
in economic, financial and educational fields besides having an overseas
Indian passport.
The new PIO scheme meant for overseas Indians living in 16 countries
was notified recently and would be called Citizenship (Third Amendment)
Rules, 2004. It prescribes the processing fee to be charged for registering
foreign citizens of Indian origin, official sources said.
The facility for procuring dual citizenship has been extended to people
of Indian origin living in Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Greece,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Republic
of Cyprus, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the US.
Formulated by the NDA regime, the scheme was opposed by many in South
Africa and the Caribbean who did not see merit in it because of their
respective local conditions.
Of the fee payable for registration as an overseas Indian citizen,
$ 25 will be non-refundable, while the rest will be returned in case
the application is turned down.
However, no person who is deprived of his Indian citizenship under
this Act will be registered as an overseas citizen of India except by
an order of the government.
For this purpose, the expression ``Person of Indian Origin'' will mean
a citizen of another country who is eligible to become a citizen of
India at the time of the commencement of the Constitution or belonged
to a territory that became part of India after August 15, 1947.
However, the Act does not cover those people who, at any time, were
citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh or any other country which the government
may notify in the official gazette.