Govt won't allow foreign investment in casinos

TORONTO: The Indian government will not permit foreign investment to set up casinos as it goes against the country''s social ethos.
Such investment "goes against India''s social ethos," External Affairs Ministry secretary JC sharma said here at a meeting on Wednesday with people of Indian origin (PIO) to brief them on steps taken by the government to implement recommendations of the LM Singhvi Committee on Citizenship.
Sharma said a proposal, based on the committee''s recommendations, to grant dual citizenship to people of Indian origin living in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore would be placed before the Cabinet soon.
He declined to give any definite timeframe when it would become law, but said all out efforts were being made to introduce a legislation in Parliament permitting dual citizenship by amending the Indian Citizenship Act.
He said the government has decided to reduce PIO cards fee by 50 per cent, and a notification in this regard would be announced soon.
Sharma said the government has decided to honour 10 NRIs who had made outstanding contributions in their respective fields on the occasion of "Pravasi Bhartiya Divas" (NRI Day) each year. The first "Pravasi Bhartiya divas" would be celebrated on January 9, 2003. It was on January 9, 1915, that Mahatma Gandhi retrned to India from South Africa.
To mark the occasion, a three-day international conference of people of Indian origin would be organised in New Delhi by the government and Ficci with top personalities from different field from over 20 countries expected to be attending it.