Sonia told of NRI census omissions

PANJIM, MARCH 1
A delegation of Congressmen comprising General Secretary of GPCC Altinho Gomes, Vice President of Goa Khadi Board Dr Ulhas Parab, and Chief Organiser of Goa Congress Seva Dal J T Vaz met Congress President Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Tuesday and complained that census authorities in Goa are refusing to record the names of Goans working on board ships, in the Gulf and in other countries.
They told Gandhi that this class of Goans are out of their homes only temporarily, and there is no reason why they should not be counted as part of Goa’s and India’s population.
Gandhi said that she had not been informed by anyone of this, and asked the delegation to send her a note on the subject. Parliament has amended the Representation of the People’s Act, 1951, to confer voting rights on citizens of India who are absent from their place of ordinary residence in India owing to employment, education or otherwise, whether temporary or not. The delegation also discussed party matters with the Congress President.