By IANS
Chennai : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Saturday opened a new office of the ministry in Chennai that will bring a range of facilities closer home for travellers as well as business people in the southern states.
“The presence of the MEA secretariat in Chennai will help Tamil Nadu and other southern states in facilitating and promoting their contacts with foreign governments, overseas investors, business leaders, NRIs and other important players abroad, thereby contributing to the overall economic development and well-being of the people,” the minister said on the occasion.
He announced that two more regional passport offices would be set up in Madurai and Coimbatore in the state for easy access to people going abroad. He also said a few more MEA branch offices would be opened in other states.
“Attestation of documents is required to be provided only by the consular division of the MEA. With the opening of the Chennai secretariat, these services could eventually be provided here itself,” Mukherjee said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said: “There is an urgent need (for the MEA secretariat) because of the increase in foreign direct investment (FDI), number of foreign delegations having offices in Chennai and the growing importance of the city as the most-favoured destination for many multinationals.
“Due to unreasonable attitude of certain (recruitment) agencies hundreds of immigrant workers are undergoing untold suffering in some foreign countries. Their relatives and dependents often approach the government for immediate help. I am confident that this branch office will be able to facilitate easy communication with the persons abroad through our diplomatic missions and render necessary and immediate assistance to those victims,” Karunanidhi said.
He also pointed out that at Chennai’s passport counters in the last few years the passport issuance volume had increased by 76 percent and immigration – volume of arrivals and departures across countries – had gone up by 54 percent.
The US consul general in Chennai, David T. Hopper, told IANS: “It is a good thing, we welcome the opening of the MEA secretariat in Chennai, though it took some time to set up. The governments of Tamil Nadu and India have certainly made things convenient for us with so many international exchanges happening, it was necessary.”
This third branch of the MEA – two others are in Kolkata and Hyderabad – is located in Nungambakkam area. It will be manned by an undersecretary and secretariat staff.
Sumathi Ravichandran, the regional passport officer who will head the branch office, said the office would host nine consuls general, two deputy high commissioners and 28 honorary consuls stationed in Chennai.
“The new branch office of the MEA will help the southern states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu liaison better with the ministry in matters of external affairs, trade, FDI and cultural exchanges,” Ravichandran added.
The branch will advise the southern states on overseas trade and investment and facilitate the visits of state government teams overseas.
It will also facilitate day-to-day functioning of foreign consulates based in south India and promote understanding of India’s foreign policy.