Law to safeguard NRI properties soon

Our Correspondent

Phagwara, November 24

With the non-resident Indians (NRIs) facing a harrowing time to get their properties vacated from encroachers, the Punjab government is planning to introduce NRI Property Safeguards Act. Principal Secretary, NRI Affairs, Punjab, Sucha Ram Ladhar today said, “The Punjab government has drafted the NRI Property Safeguards Act for speedy eviction of properties from the clutches of tenants and encroachments.”

He said a draft has been submitted to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. Ladhar quipped the Act, after being approved by the Cabinet, would be presented in Vidhan Sabha and the entire process would get completed in three months.

Ladhar said the process had been initiated to replace the NRI Commission with an ombudsman to revamp the grievance redressal system. He urged the CM to appoint a retired High Court judge to act as the ombudsman as the five-year-old commission is headed by a retired judge of High Court. He opined that anyone dealing with NRI affairs must be entrusted with judicial powers and various departments dealing with NRIs should be brought under the ambit of ombudsman.