TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The State Home Department is pursuing the cases of Goans born abroad for grant Indian citizenship with Union Ministry of Home Affairs, and once this is done, they would be able to obtain Indian passports ~ a development that could well provide welcome relief to Benaulim MLA Caitan Silva and Aldona MLA Glenn Ticlo, both of whom are embroiled in court cases over their alleged ‘Portuguese citizenship’.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar informed the State legislative Assembly on Monday that the Union Ministry vide a February 1, 2013 letter, has confirmed to State government that ‘persons of Goan origin who were born abroad before (Goa’s) Liberation shall be deemed to have become Citizens of India, provided their parents or their grandparents were born before December 20, 1961 in the territories comprising Goa, Daman and Diu and they had not made declaration in writing to retain the citizenship or nationality within 30 days’.
“Accordingly, the persons who were born abroad to Goan parents holding Indian citizenship as per Goa, Daman and Diu (citizenship) order, 1962, shall be citizens of India provided their births have been registered in Indian Missions abroad,” Parrikar clarified.
Parrikar said that election/voting cards and other documents apart from having completed school and college education in Goa, should be accepted to be proof of having resided in Goa since long.
Chief Minister said that the reply will give a relief to MLAs ~ Caitan Silva and Glenn Ticlo, whose citizenship has been challenged in the High Court.
Parrikar was replying during the calling attention motion moved by Tivim MLA Kiran Kandolkar who pointed out that the Goans born outside the country are being denied Indian passport on the grounds of having to prove their citizenship. Kandolkar sought to know the steps government intends to take in the matter.
Parrikar informed the House that government was aware of the issue and the Commissioner for NRI affairs took up the matter with the Union Home Secretary in July 2012 including difficulties faced by Goans born abroad before and after Liberation in getting Indian citizenship.
