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Dual citizenship under consideration: PTI

H S Rao in London

Dual citizenship, a long-standing demand of non-resident Indians and persons of Indian origin the world over, is under the consideration of the high-level committee on Indian diaspora, according to committee chairman L N Singhvi.

"The dual citizenship issue has been referred to us," Singhvi told reporters in London on Monday.

The five-member committee will submit its recommendations on the issue in six to nine months and the government has assured prompt action, he said.

The government had shown its "commitment to building a bridge between India and persons of Indian origin and NRIs by appointing the committee," he said, adding that the government had given it wide terms of reference.

He said NRIs were "national reserves" and "national resources" of India. There are an estimated 1,78,00,428 NRIs and PIOs spread over 110 countries.

The committee includes parliamentarian R L Bhatia, former minister of state for external affairs J R Hiremath, retired Indian Foreign Service official Baleshwar Agrawal, secretary general, Antar, Rashtriya Sahyog Parishad as members and J C Sharma, additional secretary, external affairs, as its member secretary.

Singhvi said the government had attached considerable importance to the Indian diaspora and its relations with the motherland.

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