OCI, PIO merger in 2 months, pledges Modi
20,000 greet PM at Sydney event
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday assured a visa- on- arrival facility for Australian tourists and announced a twomonth deadline for the long- pending merger of overseas citizen of India ( OCI) and persons of Indian origin ( PIO) status to woo the Indian diaspora from whom he sought support for his ambitious Clean India campaign.
Addressing a frenzied crowd of around 20,000 in the packed Allphones Arena here, Mr Modi took a dig at the previous governments saying while they were happy to make laws he was “happier to remove” them.
“Let’s open the windows let fresh air come in,” Mr Modi said referring to his government’s efforts to weed out obsolete laws.
Touched by the grand reception, Mr Modi said he was honoured and humbled and will never forget this day. “I know that behind this affection lies expectations. Yes. We want to create the India you are dreaming of.”
“This welcome, this respect, this enthusiasm I dedicate it to the people of India,” said Mr Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Australia in 28 years. Mr Modi announced — PTI that his government was working on to facilitate visa on arrival for Australian tourists and said the PIO and OCI status will be merged ahead of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas to be held from January 7 in Ahmedabad.
Mr Modi had announced merger of PIO and OCI during his visit to the US in September but had not given a timeline then.
The Prime Minister also referred to economic reforms unveiled by his government and said India has become an attractive destination for investment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been named as the top decision maker in a list of 100 global thinkers by a leading American foreign policy magazine. Mr Modi is placed at the top followed by German Chancellor Angella Merkel and BJP president Amit Shah in the decision makers category of the “100 Global Thinkers” by the Foreign Policy magazine. The magazine described Mr Modi as “charismatic and business- friendly” leader. “By India’s 2014 elections... Mr Modi had convinced many that his record as a charismatic, business- friendly leader made him just the person to revive India’s flagging growth. His speeches drew hundreds of thousands, and he reached millions via 3- D holographic projections,” it said. It also referred to the US visa ban on Mr Modi following the 2002 Gujarat riots when he was the state’s chief minister. On Mr Shah, the magazine praised the 50- yearold leader for “building a formidable campaign machine” in Uttar Pradesh, where he directed the BJP to victory in the polls. “... Shah exhibited an almost otherworldly understanding of how to make candidate Narendra Modi appeal to Indians. His deft image management balanced the human with the superhuman,” the magazine said. SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya has also made it to the coveted list for “telling hard truths about India’s debt”. The “100 Global Thinkers” also included CGNet Swara founder Shubhranshu Choudhary for giving rural Indians a megaphone and news anchor Padmini Prakash for bringing third gender to prime time. The other Indians in the list include India National PolioPlus Committee chairman Deepak Kapur.