Respond to NRI complaints, Punjab officials told

Chandigarh, July 23, 2011 Punjab's Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Affairs Minister Balbir Singh Bath has asked officials to immediately respond to the grievances of NRIs. The minister said in a statement that the state government had initiated many new steps for the welfare and security of NRIs. "In order to safeguard their properties in Punjab, the East Punjab Rent Act has been amended empowering NRIs to get their property on rent vacated from tenants," Bath said. He said all 20 districts in Punjab had separate revenue courts for NRIs for speedy disposal of their cases. "Exclusive NRI police stations have been set up in six districts having predominant NRI population. One court for NRIs has been opened in Jalandhar in consultation with the Punjab and Haryana High Court," the minister said. Punjab has thousands of NRIs, especially from the Doaba belt comprising Jalandhar, Nawanshehr, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala, settled in countries like the US, Canada and Britain.