A parliamentary standing committee report on a Bill proposing to give voting rights to NRIs has been pending with the Union Law NRI voting rights Ministry for nearly three years, Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Replying to a question on the proposed Bill, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said Law Ministry was "examining the report" of the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances Law and Justice on the Bill. The Bill proposing to grant of voting rights to Indian citizens living abroad was introduced in Rajya Sabha in February 2006 and subsequently it was sent to the Standing Committee. The Standing Committee had presented its report to the Parliament in August 2006. Ravi said the Bill permits Indian citizens residing outside India to get their names registered in the electoral roll of their respective constituency and cast their votes in the elections in case they are present in their area of residence during elections. Relying to another question, he said the ministry was in the process of finalising a proposal to replace the existing Emigration Act 1983 with a new law. source : Times of India
Indian overseas Affair minister should understand that these NRI have brought glory to their nation and now he himself requested Indian in America to help in Indian development. If he really seek these support, then he and the entire government should first support them and sort the issues that NRI's are facing abroad and then they should ask for favors. If these simple decisions are going to take so long, then we really wonder how long India will take to develop.
