Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
NRIs secure voting rights in India
Finally, NRIs secure voting rights in India
New Delhi: A longstanding wish of millions of NRIs for voting right in India has come true with the Centre issuing a notification to this effect to enable them to exercise their franchise.
Parliament had in the monsoon session passed the Representation of People (Amendment) Bill, 2010 to allow NRIs to vote in Indian elections and now government has issued a gazette notification in this regard.
“Gazette notification has been issued giving voting rights to Non-Resident Indians,” overseas Indian affairs minister told Lok Sabha, replying to a question.
An estimated 11 million NRIs are living in various countries across the world.
However, the person will be able to exercise the franchise only if he or she is present in the constituency on the polling day.
Ravi said NRIs, “who have not acquired citizenship of any other country and are living abroad owing to employment, education or otherwise, are now eligible to register their names in the electoral rolls” in their places as mentioned in their passport.
He said the Election Commission is likely to soon finalise the rules and regulations prescribing modalities for entry of names of NRIs in electoral rolls.
The government had decided to allow the NRIs to participate in the democratic process to further boost the two-way engagement.
As per the existing rules, an NRI’s name gets deleted from the voters’ list if he or she stays outside the country for more than six months at a stretch.
The new law will allow an Indian citizen residing abroad to enroll in voter’s list and exercise his franchise even if he or she remained away from place of residence in India for more than six months owing to employment, education or otherwise.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, addressing the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas earlier this year, had indicated that Indian passport holders living abroad could get voting rights by the time of next Lok Sabha elections in 2014.
Source: Times of India 25th November,2010
New Delhi: A longstanding wish of millions of NRIs for voting right in India has come true with the Centre issuing a notification to this effect to enable them to exercise their franchise.
Parliament had in the monsoon session passed the Representation of People (Amendment) Bill, 2010 to allow NRIs to vote in Indian elections and now government has issued a gazette notification in this regard.
“Gazette notification has been issued giving voting rights to Non-Resident Indians,” overseas Indian affairs minister told Lok Sabha, replying to a question.
An estimated 11 million NRIs are living in various countries across the world.
However, the person will be able to exercise the franchise only if he or she is present in the constituency on the polling day.
Ravi said NRIs, “who have not acquired citizenship of any other country and are living abroad owing to employment, education or otherwise, are now eligible to register their names in the electoral rolls” in their places as mentioned in their passport.
He said the Election Commission is likely to soon finalise the rules and regulations prescribing modalities for entry of names of NRIs in electoral rolls.
The government had decided to allow the NRIs to participate in the democratic process to further boost the two-way engagement.
As per the existing rules, an NRI’s name gets deleted from the voters’ list if he or she stays outside the country for more than six months at a stretch.
The new law will allow an Indian citizen residing abroad to enroll in voter’s list and exercise his franchise even if he or she remained away from place of residence in India for more than six months owing to employment, education or otherwise.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, addressing the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas earlier this year, had indicated that Indian passport holders living abroad could get voting rights by the time of next Lok Sabha elections in 2014.
Source: Times of India 25th November,2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Looking to buy a house? Wait till March next year.
Those of you who wanted to buy a house, but have found the prices too steep, can take heart. If realty experts are to be believed, the coming March will see property prices coming down. The past one year has seen investor groups from across the country and abroad pumping money into Ahmedabad’s realty market.
Developers have taken advantage of this and hiked the residential property rates, comparing the city with metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
This had resulted in the investors’ share in residential segment going up to 75 per cent. According to experts, this is not an ideal situation for real estate. Hence, realty experts and consultants are expecting around 25 per cent correction in the residential property by March 2011.
Mukesh Vasani of City Estate Management said, “Investors’ share in residential segment here has gone up to 75 pc. Of which, 50 pc comprise investors from Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, NRGs and NRIs.”
Moreover, Vasani added that around 50-odd under construction schemes will produce an additional 12,000 to 15,000 unit houses. So, the investors of overpriced properties are willing to exit first. Same is the case with the small-time investor, he said.
Ashutosh Limaye, associate director (Strategic Consulting), Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj, agrees with the trend. Explaining the reason for the looming crises, Vinod Thakkar, CEO of Square feet realty firm in Mumbai, said, “IT cities such as Pune, Hyderabad, Banglore and Chennai are still struggling to come out of the financial crisis. Hence, the realty market there is unstable, whereas Delhi and Mumbai have become super-speculative markets. The outskirts of Mumbai is also seeing some correction. For example, Kalyan has a poor infrastructure and is far away from the city.
Thakkar, who has opened a branch here, is hopeful. “Gujarat being a progressive state and Ahmedabad being the financial hub, it is seeing robust realty boom. This has motivated other state investors to pump in money here. If this continues, it can go the Mumbai way.”
Ahmedabad Mirror, 22nd November, 2010
Kuldip Tiwari
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Canada PIOs must give up Indian passport.
Persons of Indian origin (PIOs) will now have to formally renounce their citizenship and surrender their Indian passport after acquiring foreign citizenship, according to new rules circulated by the Indian high commission here.
Canadian PIOs will have to pay a fee of $168 to get their Indian passport cancelled by the country's mission here.
"New rules require that Indian citizens acquiring foreign citizenship on or after June 1, 2010, must formally renounce Indian citizenship," the mission statement said.
But those who have acquired foreign citizenship before June 1, 2010, will be exempted from paying the so-called renunciation fee of $168.
On surrender of their Indian passport, PIOs will be issued a 'surrender certificate' which they will have to produce when seeking Indian visa or PIO card or OCI (overseas citizenship of India) card, according to the new rules.
On surrender of their Indian passport, PIOs will be issued a 'surrender certificate' which they will have to produce when seeking Indian visa or PIO card or OCI (overseas citizenship of India) card, according to the new rules.
The statement said, "It is a punishable offence under the Indian Passport Act 1976, to apply for an Indian passport re-issued or travel on an Indian passport after acquiring foreign citizenship." - IANS
Source: Times of India, 17th October 2010
Canadian PIOs will have to pay a fee of $168 to get their Indian passport cancelled by the country's mission here.
"New rules require that Indian citizens acquiring foreign citizenship on or after June 1, 2010, must formally renounce Indian citizenship," the mission statement said.
But those who have acquired foreign citizenship before June 1, 2010, will be exempted from paying the so-called renunciation fee of $168.
On surrender of their Indian passport, PIOs will be issued a 'surrender certificate' which they will have to produce when seeking Indian visa or PIO card or OCI (overseas citizenship of India) card, according to the new rules.
On surrender of their Indian passport, PIOs will be issued a 'surrender certificate' which they will have to produce when seeking Indian visa or PIO card or OCI (overseas citizenship of India) card, according to the new rules.
The statement said, "It is a punishable offence under the Indian Passport Act 1976, to apply for an Indian passport re-issued or travel on an Indian passport after acquiring foreign citizenship." - IANS
Source: Times of India, 17th October 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Special airfare for Gujaratis visiting state during Swarnim celebration
With A view to attract Gujaratis living outside the state to the Swarnim Gujarat celebrations, the government has announced a special package with low airfare.
Gujaritis flying down to the state between April 25 and May 5 will be given the benefit of low fares. A government statement on Wednesday said state Civil Aviation minister Saurabh Patel has announced this package. “This special discount will be given to Gujaratis flying from Coimbatore, Chandigadh, Guwahati, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and Bangalore so that they can attend the golden jubilee celebration of the statehood of Gujarat,” said Patel.
The statement added that Jet Airways has announced that it will give 30 to 50 per cent discount during the period of Swarnim Gujarat celebrations.
The statement quoted Naved Desai, the Chief of Jet Airways in Gujarat as saying: “Travellers will get 30 to 50 per cent discount between April 25 and May 5 under the Swarnim Gujarat Air Package.”
Express News Service Tags : celebrations, airlines Posted: Thu Apr 22 2010, 02:59 hrs Ahmedabad:
Gujaritis flying down to the state between April 25 and May 5 will be given the benefit of low fares. A government statement on Wednesday said state Civil Aviation minister Saurabh Patel has announced this package. “This special discount will be given to Gujaratis flying from Coimbatore, Chandigadh, Guwahati, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and Bangalore so that they can attend the golden jubilee celebration of the statehood of Gujarat,” said Patel.
The statement added that Jet Airways has announced that it will give 30 to 50 per cent discount during the period of Swarnim Gujarat celebrations.
The statement quoted Naved Desai, the Chief of Jet Airways in Gujarat as saying: “Travellers will get 30 to 50 per cent discount between April 25 and May 5 under the Swarnim Gujarat Air Package.”
Express News Service Tags : celebrations, airlines Posted: Thu Apr 22 2010, 02:59 hrs Ahmedabad:
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Statue of Unity, The World’s tallest statue will be here in Gujarat
Statue: Statue of Unity
Depicts: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Place: Sadhu dwip, Narmada dam, Gujarat
Height: 182 metres
Installed: Proposed
Source: ahmedabad mirror
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