After ministers, now NRI panel chief to tour Toronto, New York
ON GOVT DIRECTIONS Told to hear grievances of US and Canadian Punjabis
CHANDIGARH: After the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) office-bearers and Punjab cabinet ministers, now the NRI commission chairman of the state will visit Canada and the US to hear the grievances of the non-resident Indians, Punjabis particularly, in Toronto and New York.
In his campaign to get Punjabi diaspora’s support for the 2017 assembly elections, deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal is focussing on the North American countries especially, where backing for the rival Aam Admi Party (AAP) has swelled since the parliamentary elections of 2014. NRI commission chairman justice Rakesh Garg (retd), who will be on a five-day visit to Toronto from September 5 and in New York for three days, told HT much more remained to be done to redress the grievances of the Punjabis settled in the two countries, which will be the objective of his meetings with them. Justice Garg said he was making this tour on the state government directions.
Trying to avoid the backlash that Akali ministers and officebearers faced on their recent tour, Garg said he would not address public meetings but have planned gathering for people with genuine grievances. “Already, a number of these meetings have been fixed. We have tied up with the Indian consulates in Toronta and New York to facilitate us. The commission will follow up all the issues that would be brought to his notice.
Garg said the NRI commission could do a better job if it had the power of the adjudication commission that came into existence in 2011. “Punjab prob- ably is only state to have such a commission,” he said, calling upon non-resident Punjabis to lodge their complaints with the commission in case the NRI wing of Punjab Police has not solved their problems. “Non-resident Punjabis tend to approach the NRI sabhas, which though voluntary and non-profitable, are ineffective because of a limited area of operation.
I will not address public meetings but meet people who have genuine grievances. We have tied up with the Indian consulates for help. JUSTICE RAKESH GARG (RETD), Punjab NRI Commission chairman