GOVT BEGINS CRACKDOWN ON ABSCONDING NRI HUSBANDS

NEW DELHI : The government’s nodal agency on NRI marital disputes has started its crackdown on ‘absconding husbands’ by seeking revocation of passports of as many as 10 such offenders.

The decision was taken after minister of women and child development (WCD) Maneka Gandhi chaired the first meeting of the integrated nodal agency (INA) on NRI marriages. “The INA reviewed the 10 cases of revocation of passport request made by NCW (National Commission for Women), and the MEA was asked to expedite action,” the WCD ministry tweeted.

The ministry also said that the body constituted to look into complaints arising out of marital disputes of NRIs will be empowered to issue look-out circulars against absconding husbands. The body is headed by the WCD secretary and comprises officials from the ministries of law, external affairs and home. It was set up following the recommendations of an interministerial committee to review legal and regulatory challenges faced by women deserted by NRI men. In a bid to curb incidents of NRI husbands abandoning their Indian wives, the government will also collect data on all registered marriages.