NEW DELHI: The government on Sunday announced that it proposes to simplify procedures for grant of Indian citizenship to minority Hindus from Pakistan.
The proposal also envisages allowing “minority communities of Pakistan staying in India on a Long Term Visa” to buy property, open bank accounts and obtain permanent account number (PAN) and Aadhaar number, a home ministry official said here.
According to the proposal, the collectors or district magistrates of 18 districts will be empowered for two years’ period to grant citizenship to such people at heavily reduced fees.
The districts are Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Kutch and Patan (Gujarat), Bhopal and Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune and Thane (Maharashtra), West Delhi and South Delhi (National Capital Territory), Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).
Having reviewed “the hardships being faced by the minority communities in Pakistan staying in India on Long Term Visa”, the government also plans to allow such people to open bank accounts and obtain PAN and Aadhaar number, the official said.
“These are only at proposal stage,” the official told IANS and sought public comments and suggestions on the measures proposed.
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