The External Affairs Ministry has increased the amount of legal and financial assistance for Indian women deserted by their NRI husbands in 13 countries to USD 4,000 per case, the Rajya Sabha was told today.
The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) Guidelines were revised in September 2017 with an aim to provide financial and legal assistance to distressed women married to NRI spouses by all Missions and Posts, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh told the Rajya Sabha.
"The amount of legal and financial assistance to distressed Indian women has been increased to USD 4,000 per case," he said in a written reply.
Earlier, the assistance amount was limited to USD 3,000 per case in the developed countries and USD 2,000 per case in the developing countries, Singh said.
The assistance is released to the empanelled legal counsel of the applicant or Indian Community Association, women's organisation and NGO concerned to enable it to take steps to assist the woman in documentation and preparatory work for filing the case, he added.
In the last four years, 43 women have been benefitted by the assistance in the 13 countries, including the US, UK, Afghanistan, Colombia, Sudan, he said.
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