New Delhi:
In a significant step forward to address issues relating to overseas Indians, various states have decided to establish district level nodal centres which will function as single window forum to deal with immigration and issues concerning the diaspora.
The decision was taken at the end of the second annual consultation meeting with the state governments organised by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA).
Apart from the district level centres, the states also agreed to set up a separate centre at their respective capitals to coordinate with the district centres.
"There has been a consensus that the state governments and the Ministry need to make concerted efforts to resolve issues relating to the overseas Indians as well as the prospective emigrants," a senior official of the Ministry said.
The two-day consultation meeting focused on various key issues relating to problems facing the NRIs, PIOs and Overseas Indian Workers.
The representatives of various state governments also agreed to forward a list of specific problems faced by them so that the MOIA can take up the issues at the inter-ministerial consultations, the official said.