New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) The central government Saturday launched an online consular grievance system to help the overseas Indians in getting their problems redressed in a time-bound manner.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj launched the MADAD -- help or Online Consular Grievances System - for registering complaints of overseas Indians facing various problems.
Such problems would now be addressed by the India Missions abroad in a time-bound manner.
A result of the joint efforts of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) and the External Affairs Ministry (MEA), Swaraj said, it will now enable overseas Indians not just to register their complaints online but also track its movement among the officials tackling it.
The overseas Indians could send their complaints in writing, which would be put online by the mission officials.
The online registration of complaints and their being attended to would considerably reduce the time usually taken for the same, a senior MEA official said.
The website has priorities for the complaint -- complaints concerning mortal remains is of very high priority, then followed by high priority, priority and likewise. Any complaint relating to "mortal remains" would be addressed within two days.
Swaraj said while the grievances of the overseas Indians came under the domain of the MOIA but its remedies lie with the MEA.
This disconnect, the minister said between the two ministries was coming in the way of people not getting the desired relief.
Describing the website as something beyond her expectation, Swaraj said it would also put the Indian missions abroad on their toes as any inertia on their part in dealing with the complaints would reflect on the website.
They would get red-marked on the website - a sign of negative rating, she added.
Swaraj said that "MADAD also fixes accountability and responsibility" as it was said that "it has booth incentive and disincentive. It is compulsory for the overseas mission to update to avoid being labelled as 'Red'."
She said that the online system and its regular updating not only places the Indian mission into competition but a person always "fears bad name from his own community".
Under the system envisaged, a complaint in the first instance would go to a consular in a mission and after a fixed duration of time if he is unable to address it, the same would escalate to his next higher officer and eventually reaching the ambassador or the High Commissioner.
All the complaints that would be made at the mission-level would be monitored by the CPU division in MEA and could eventually land up on the table of the minister, Swaraj said while inaugurating the website.
She said she received a good response from people during her Oman-visit when MADAD was being tried as a pilot project.
China: Despite the easing of Covid restrictions, there is a shadow of silence in Beijing, with people avoiding going out of the house
Nothing is going well in China at the moment. People have taken to the streets against the zero covid policy of the government. Please tell us that the effect of this protest was seen in 13 big cities
Another booster of RBI, Repo rate reduced to 4%, EMI Moratorium further increased
new Delhi
Cryptocurrency: Filecoin and Aster were the top gainers, know how the crypto market behaved in a week
US-based crypto exchange Kraken has halted its staking service and had to pay a US$30 million fine to the SEC last week for failing to register the service. After this incident, the week started with
China's spy ship seen in Indian Ocean region, India to conduct missile test in Bay of Bengal
China's spy ship 'Yuan Wang 5' has entered the Indian Ocean region ahead of India's long-range ballistic missile test in the Bay of Bengal. The ship is equipped with various surveillance and
'Dogesh bhai! You go ahead...', Raveena Tandon welcomed SC's decision on stray dogs; she made this demand with advice
The Supreme Court on Friday gave its verdict on the stray dogs case. The apex court said that dogs cannot be kept in shelter homes. Those who have been kept will have to be released. Many well-known
Attack on BSF jawans on Indo-Bangladesh border: More than 100 Bangladeshi villagers killed with sharp weapons, guns snatched; 2 young serious
Bangladeshi villagers and miscreants attacked BSF jawans who were doing their duty to protect Indian farmers on the international border. Two soldiers were seriously injured in this attack. He has got
AAP protests at Gurgaon BJP MP's house over farmers' issues
Gurgaon, Feb 21 (IANS) A large number of farmers and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters marched to BJP leader and Gurgaon parliamentarian Rao Inderjit Singh's residence, as the party launched its
Agreement: Abu Dhabi company to make a big investment in three companies of Adani group, know where it will be used
This year is full of gifts for Gautam Adani, a veteran Indian industrialist and one of the world's top billionaires. In terms of earnings, he has also left behind Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mukesh
Fitch Ratings: Fitch Revises India's Sovereign Rating Outlook, Changes From Negative To Stable
Fitch Ratings on Friday said it has changed its outlook for India's sovereign rating from negative to stable. Giving reasons for this, the report said that due to the rapid economic recovery in the
Sushma Swaraj meets Maldivian counterpart
New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Maldivian counterpart Dunya Maumoon held talks here Sunday to boost bilateral relations that are set to mark 50 years in
