NRI Commission gets cabinet nod

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An NRI Commission with quasi judicial powers will be constituted in Kerala to protect the interests of Non residents hailing from the state, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here today.

The commission will have a retired High Court judge as its chairman, Chandy told reporters after a cabinet meeting. It will be headquartered in the state capital and will have its sitting once in three months.

The commission's aim is also to ensure that NRIs get all the benefits of the various rules in force in the state.

A retired IAS officer and two NRIs will also form part of the commission, which envisages protecting the rights, interests and properties of the NRI diaspora, considered as the state's backbone on the basis of their remittances to the state.

Punjab is the only other state which has a commission for NRIs.