Spouses of US diplomats come under government scanner

NEW DELHI: The Devyani Khobragade affair may be over for now but that has not stopped India from continuing to clamp down on excesses allegedly committed by US diplomats.

While India has already ruled out restoring what it describes as non-reciprocal privileges and facilitations — like special airport access and blanket immunity — it is now insisting on getting details about spouses of US officials teaching in American schools in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The US has not yet provided these details or those related to the pay scale of Indian staff working with the US embassy and consulates.

India’s ambassador to the US, S Jaishankar, raised the issue related to American embassy schools with US deputy secretary of state William Burns in a meeting on Tuesday . One of the “privileges” India quickly wants to put an end to is the tax exemption given to US nationals working with these schools. According to official sources, there are strong reasons to believe that some US nationals teaching in these schools don’t have the requisite work permit.

India has also accused the embassy in New Delhi of long having hosted commercial facilities within its compound, including sale and service establishments, that are open not only to non-US diplomats but also to non-diplomatic staff and outsiders. India last week ordered that these facilities be shut down by January 16.

Sources, however, clarified that these services have not been shut for US diplomats and that they are free to avail these even now. “There is no restriction on US diplomats. Only the commercial activities by American Community Support Association (ACSA) have been stopped,’’ said a source.

India has also made it clear that there is no question of restoring the special airport access facility for the US ambassador and other diplomats till the time the same is extended to Indian diplomats in the US. The ambassador, Nancy Powell , who had a special pass with a photo identity card, cancelled her trip to Nepal last month. The US embassy said this was because she had to look after pressing issues here. She travelled to Hyderabad after that but without the special airport pass.
“There was no retaliation by India but just a review of these privileges to bring them strictly in line with reciprocity , the cornerstone of diplomatic ties,’’ said an official.