TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Despite pledging to start issuing Overseas Citizen of India cards from the Goa Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) from December, more than a month later the facility is still caught in ‘procedural delays’ and is likely to be functional only from February.
Speaking to Herald, U D Kamat, Secretary of NRI affairs said that, while in principle sanction has been given it will take a while before it is actualised ‘owing to procedural delays.’
“There are a few formalities that need to be completed before it can be done. The process is on, we hope it will be done by February,” Kamat told Herald.
The Commissionerate of NRI Affairs had announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs had decided to delegate the powers of grant of OCI to foreign citizens of Goan origin to FRRO Goa from December1, 2012. They had also announced that those interested in obtaining OCI Card status should apply for OCI to FRRO Goa as their applications will not be accepted in the OCI Cell of the Ministry of Home Affairs at New Delhi from December 1, last.
However, Kamat assured that since the facility is not functional in Goa, persons can continue to apply in Delhi until the service takes off in Goa.
The Government of Goa had repeatedly brought to the attention of the authorities in New Delhi the inconvenience and difficulties faced by NRIs of Goan origin holding foreign passports in getting OCI Card Status.
Acting upon our request, as a first step, the Government of India vide Ministry of Home Affairs Notification dated 14 May 2012 appointed a full fledged FRRO for the jurisdiction of the entire State of Goa, including Goa International Airport and Mormugao Sea Port from 31 May 2012.
Pursuant to this appointment, the question of delegation of powers to FRRO Goa to accept and process the OCI applications of foreign citizens of Goan origin was taken up by the Commissioner for NRI Affairs with the Union Home Minister so as to facilitate NRIs of Goan origin holding foreign passports, including the elderly, who intend to permanently settle down in Goa on the strength of their OCI card status.
The Government of India had introduced Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Scheme to Persons of Indian origin who have migrated from India and acquired citizenship of a foreign country other than Pakistan and Bangladesh, from 1 December 2005.
