Hyderabad, May:Non Resident Indians(NRIs), especially A.P NRIs living in Middle East and all over globe appealed to new Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Mr. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy to take steps to create a new ministry- ‘NRI Ministry" in the new cabinet to be formed by him very soon. Mr. Khaja Quadeer Anwar and Dr. Mohd Haseebullah, the organisers of 2nd NRI Convention to be held in city later in the year met Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Mr. Reddy immediately after he sworn in as Chief Minister and invited him to be the chief guest for the convention and appealed to him to create new Ministry for NRIs to cater to the needs of NRI issues. According to them, Mr. Reddy had readily agreed to be the chief guest at the forthcoming NRI convention and assured to react positively to their demand of creating NRI Ministry in his cabinet.

Disclosing this Mr. Khaja Quadeer Anwar, The Founder Director of IDEAS(The Indian Doctors, Engineers, Architects and Accountants Society), the World’s largest network of Indian professionals abroad and Dr. Mohd. Haseebullah, CEO for the NRI Convention & Festival 2004 informed that there are 22.5 Million NRIs live in various countries all over the world. In Saudi Arabia alone there are 1.6 million NRIs, making it the single largest country of NRI population in the world. Off these 1.6 million NRIs from India, majority of them come from Kerala and Andhra Pradesh states alone.

There are 5.5 Million AP NRIs all over the world. Hence, there is a need to address NRIs issues here locally. Unlike many NRIs from USA and other countries, the NRIs in gulf can’t settle in gulf as they won’t grant them citizenship. They can’t even buy a property there. Their children can’t study beyond 12th standard in gulf. Hence, they need to come back to their mother land at one stage or the other. Once they are back home they have plenty of problems. Hence, we need a separate ministry in the new cabinet of YSR said Mr. Khaja and Dr. Haseebullah.

Kerala is the only state in the country to have seperate Ministry for NRIs. And NRIs want Mr. Reddy who has just taken the responsibility of the governance of Andhra Pradesh to respond to their demand on passionate considerations. When a NRI delegation met the Chief Minister he assured them to redress their problems. And both Mr. Khaja and Dr. Haseebullah are confident that Mr. Rajasekhar Reddy would respond positively.

Quoting former Prime Minister of India Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee as saying Mr Khaja said thanks to NRIs the foreign exchange reserves of India last year crossed $ 100 billion, to which the Gulf NRIs contributed 50%’. Such is the contribution of NRIs to the economy of their motherland. Hence we demand state government to think seriously to start a new ministry which will look into the welfare of NRIs from the state, said Mr. Khaja.

IDEAS in association with Ministry of Tourism, Government of Andhra Pradesh is to organise the Second NRI Convention and Festival 2004 here in Hyderabad from 30th July to 1st August. Around 5,000 NRIs from 8 countries are expected to attend this mega event.

-MK
Reachout's News Bureau
May' 2004