Jalandhar, March 30, 2021 (Yes Punjab News)
Within four days of demand raised by US Based North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) Govt of India announced that OCI Card reissuance date has been extended from June 30,2021 to December 31, 2021.While welcoming the move NAPA executive director Satnam Singh Chahal said now no OCI card holders required to carry old passports for India travel but carrying the new passport is mandatory.
This announcement of Govt of India has sigh of relief for thousands of Indians residing abroad. This is also a matter of great satisfaction that the OCI card holders travelling on the strength of their existing OCI card bearing old passport number are not required to carry their old passport. Said Chahal.
He further said that the Indian government has relaxed the provisions since last year also due to the COVID-19 pandemic but this is for the first time that the guidelines have been relaxed for carrying old passports along with the OCI cards for overseas Indians.
While expressing thanks the External Minister of India Dr. Jai Shanker, Home Minister Amit Shah and Indian Ambassador in USA Taranjit Singh Sandhu for helping the overseas Indian Community Chahal said that now the OCI card holders can heave a sigh of relief worldwide,” with these new guidelines, he said. He expressed thanks to Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla for the new guidelines.
