Tytler may get some work now

The standing committee on external affairs has upheld all the grouses Minister of State for NRI Affairs, Jagdish Tytler, had raised against the external affairs ministry and has directed the government to allot work to the ministry and augment the financial resources available to it so that the activities related to the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas were not abridged or curtailed for want of funds and lack of interest on the part of the government.

A group of ministers (GoM), headed by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, set up to establish the areas of work of the new NRI affairs ministry, meanwhile recommended that the new ministry be entrusted with work relating to scholarships and admission of children of overseas Indians in the country, the organisation of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, external publicity relating to overseas Indian affairs and representation in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board.

This report tempers the criticism of the standing committee somewhat. The standing committee on the demand for grants to the ministry of NRI affairs said though the ministry was created in May 2004, three "precious months have gone by and the allocation of work for the ministry was yet to be decided".

The committee took a dim view of the government's assurance that a group of ministers had been asked to recommend the ambit of work for the NRI ministry, because "the government had made no time frame for the implementation of the GoM's recommendations". But the GoM has submitted its report on Wednesday after all.

Striking a big blow in favour of the discontented minister, the standing committee said Rs 4.80 crore had been allocated against establishment expenditure and Rs 1.20 crore for holding multilateral conferences and meetings of NRI-related expenses and Rs 1 crore under "other charges".

Not only should the funds for establishment-related issues have been made later, but also existing funds augmented till the Ministry was set up, the report says.

The standing committee, chaired by Laxminarayan Pandey, also said "uncertainty and ambivalence" with regard to its working must be ended without further loss of time.

The committee hoped there would be a "clear division" of work between the NRI affairs ministry and the external affairs ministry "leaving no scope for confusion and overlapping in respect of their functioning in future".

Taking a lesson from the Videsh Bhavan project of the external affairs ministry, "all precautions should be taken in respect of the construction of the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, so that it does not not get delayed.

It has asked the NRI affairs ministry to prepare a time schedule for the construction of this building and ensure its completion within time.

The committee underscored the need for greater interaction with the NRIs and PIOs and making concerted efforts in addressing their problems and concerns in a more effective and meaningful manner.

It has suggested transfer of allocated funds for celebration of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and embarking on vigorous efforts for intensive publicity among the scientific and technical community of people of Indian origin.