The Punjab government has issued fresh legislation to stop fake and fraudulent marriages in a move to safeguard the interests of women in the State.
Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal said that new legislation passed by the State Assembly makes it mandatory to register all marriages conduced in the State with the Registrar of Marriages.
He was speaking to the Punjabi Diaspora at the ‘Pravasi Punjabi Sammelan 2013’ held in Chandigarh on January 5, prior to the ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ held in Kochi, Kerala from January 7 to 9, 2013. A related report by former Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand appears in this section.
The menace
Describing the move as ‘landmark legislation,’ he said that it was time to ‘check the menace of fake marriages.
There have been a number of cases in the recent past of innocent women becoming victims of fraud perpetrated by people of Indian origin residing outside India. Many of these victims, lured by lifestyle in Western countries, are later divorced or forced to lead a life of oppression.
Mr Badal said that his government was also tackling the problem of youngsters going overseas on work permits under false promises made by unscrupulous employers or their agents. New Zealand is among the destinations for these unfortunate youth, who suffer manipulation, questionable living and working conditions and breach of contractual obligations by their employers.
Human trafficking
“Human Trafficking and Smuggling Act has been brought to prevent the illegal practice of emigrating innocent youth to other countries by the unscrupulous travel agents and dumping them later,” Mr Badal said.
He announced the formation of a high-level panel to address issues and problems faced by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in their home state.
The panel would comprise five state cabinet ministers and as many from the Diaspora, he said.
The government initiative was in response to the needs of the people of Punjabi origin and that most issues concerned the property sector.
“We are committed to ensuring the security of hard-earned property of the NRIs so that they can live and work peacefully in their adopted countries,” Mr Badal said.
“NRIs would get their multiple properties evicted multiple times. So far, under the existing provisions of law, the NRIs could only get one property evicted only once.”
Mr Badal also announced establishment of three more NRI police stations, bringing the total number of such stations in the State to 11.
“We are setting up a fast-track court for NRI affairs in the state to ensure quick dispensation of justice,” Mr Badal said.
Source: India Abroad News Service
Photo :
Prakash Singh Badal speaking at the Sammelan on January 5, 2013 (Picture Courtesy: Saanj News)
Read our Editorial, Time to stop fake marriages under Viewlink in this issue.
