WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday assured global Goans that the State government is pursuing dual citizenship issues with the Government of India and that efforts are on to solve them.
The assurance however needs to be balanced with practicality because the Modi government has been firm on not allowing dual nationality. Therefore the issue is only academic.
Speaking at the launching of Global Goan Association in Panjim, Sawant said that his government is pursuing the issues such as dual citizenship, surrendering of passport, OCI (overseas citizen of India) card, etc, with the Government of India. Efforts are on to find a solution to the issues.
The Chief Minister thanked Global Goans Association president Simon D’Silva for taking initiative to solve issues faced by the Goans working abroad and announced the holding the maiden Global Goan convention in Goa next year.
Speaking on the occasion, former Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro said, “This is the time when we should think out of the box. Today if you are holding a Portuguese citizenship, it is a gateway to Europe.”
“You have got so many talented people in Goa who cannot provide them employment. So the Goa government can be a facilitator,” Faleiro said.
“If Puducherry can have dual citizenship, why can’t the Goans have it? I can proudly say that wherever Goans have gone, they have done better than citizens of that country,” he said.
Faleiro urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to convince Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accord dual citizenship to Goans.
Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira said, “We (opposition) have taken a decision that we will move a resolution in the House to request the government to adopt and forward it to the Government of India for consideration of dual nationality, which will be in the interest of people, who have suffered the situation unwillingly and unknowingly,” Adv Ferreira said.
Commissioner of NRI Affairs Adv Narendra Sawaikar said, “The solution to the problem is with the Union government. Recently Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade raised the issue in the Upper House and the Chief Minister is also pursuing the issue. I am quite confident that some solution could be found so far as this issue is concerned.”
