WCD ministry proposes amendments to aid NRI wives

The Centre has proposed to register NRI marriages within one week with penal consequences for non-registration. It has also proposed to serve summons to erring husbands to be posted on a website of the ministry of external affairs and for it to be made a sufficient process under Code of Criminal Procedure.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS PROPOSED TO REGISTER NRI MARRIAGES WITHIN ONE WEEK WITH PENAL CONSEQUENCES FOR NON-REGISTRATION

NEW DELHI: To help women abandoned in marriages with non-resident Indians (NRIs), the women and child development ministry has drafted a proposal to strengthen the redressal mechanism to be sent to the Cabinet for approval.

The government has proposed to register NRI marriages within one week with penal consequences for non-registration. It has also proposed to serve summons to erring husbands to be posted on a dedicated website of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and for it to be made a sufficient process under the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Apart from this, the ministry has proposed for passport rules to be amended to facilitate cancellation of passport absconders.“For safeguarding the interest of women married to NRIs and further strengthening the redressal mechanism, a detailed proposal will soon be placed before the Cabinet for its approval. The problem of women being abandoned in NRI marriages is a serious issue. For the first time, WCD ministry, MEA and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) are providing coordinated support to women facing problems in their marriage to NRIs,” the statement issued by the ministry read.

The Integrated Nodal Agency (INA), chaired by Rakesh Srivastava, the secretary of the WCD ministry, has been issuing lookout circulars for absconding husbands. Till now, eight lookout circulars have been issued and 33 passports have been suspended/ impounded by the MEA.