Punjab offers aid to distressed overseas women

Chandigarh, July 6 (UNI) The Punjab government has made elaborate arrangements to provide financial assistance to needy Indian women in distress who have been facing divorce proceedings in a foreign country.

Development of Women and Children Minister Swarna Ram today said assistance would include meeting initial cost and incidental charges for documentation and filing of the case by the Indian women's organisations or NGOs on the woman's behalf.

The assistance would be upto 1000 US dollars per case and will be released to the Indian community organisations/NGO concerned to enable it to take steps to assit the woman in documentation and preparatory work for filing the case.

The women's organization/NGO will make efforts to enlist community adocates, preferably women advocates, to extend further legal assitance/ appearance in court etc on a pro-bono basis.

Giving more details regarding the scheme, Mr Swarna Ram said that under the scheme Indian missions in the countries concerned would empanel credible Indian women organizations, Indian community Association, NGO's and their member advocates to provide legal aid the victims in distress.

The minister further said that during current year the Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs would initially sanction Rs 40 lakhs to the Indian mission in USA, UK, Canada, Australia and Gulf countries, subject to review next year, budget provision for current year would be Rs 2 crore.

However, the assistance would be extended to women subject to conditions that the concerned woman should be Indian passport holder, the marriage of the woman should be solemnised and register in India, the woman should be deserted in india or after reaching abroad within two years of the marriage by her overseas Indian spouse, an ex-parte divorce has been obtained by the overseas Indian spouse and a case for maintenance and alimony is to filed.

The scheme would not be available to women facing criminal charges or having a criminal case decided against her.

However, the domicile of the woman seeking relief under the scheme is not relevant for allowing the benefit, the minister said.

UNI