EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTRY

On an average, MEA gets 3 NRI women grievances every day

South-Block-commons The South Block building at New Delhi | via Commons

There is a reason why Sushma Swaraj, the minister of external affairs is trigger-happy on Twitter. She has her work cut out for her: on an average, 3 women—deserted by their NRI spouses—reached out for help to the ministry from January 2015 to December 2017.

On mission mode, the ministry across the world has come to their rescue. In reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, minister of state for external affairs V.K. Singh stated that in this period, the ministry had received 3492 complaints of distressed Indian women deserted by their NRI spouses. “These complaints had been addressed by the Ministry by way of providing them counselling, guidance and information about procedures, mechanisms for serving judicial summons on the Overseas Indian husband; filing a case in India,’’ he stated in Parliament.

The ministry had also set up an expert committee on NRI Martial disputes, which had presented a report in August 2017. One of the recommendations, which has been accepted was to constitute an Integrated Nodal Agency (INA). This has been implemented, he said and is expected to be an “effective mechanism to provide a single window and timely solution.” It would also help in better monitoring of the welfare measures being undertaken.

In an effort to help NRI wives legally, the ministry had revised the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) Guidelines were revised in September last year. “The amount of legal & financial assistance to distressed Indian women has also been increased to US $4000 per case,’’ he said. Women are referred to lawyers empaneled with the embassies or NGO.