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LOCAL PRESS RELEASE
Press Release
Press Release: Opening of Consulate General in Melbourne
The High Commission of India is pleased to
announce that the Government of India have decided to open a home-based
Consulate General of India in Melbourne. The area of jurisdiction of the
Consulate General will be the States of Victoria and Tasmania.
The opening of the Consulate General will address a long-standing demand
of the Indian community in Victoria. It will contribute to further expanding
the relationship between India and the State of Victoria in business,
academic, cultural, sports and other areas.
The Consulate General, after opening, will provide visa, passport and other
consular services, including receiving and processing applications for
Overseas Citizenship of India, in respect of persons residing in Victoria
and Tasmania. It will initially function from the current premises of the
Honorary Consulate General, i.e. 15, Munro Street, Coburg, Victoria 3058.
The Honorary Consulate General has serviced the residents of Victoria for
over 23 years. The High Commission would like to express its appreciation
of the Honorary Consul General Dr. T.J. Rao, Hon. Consul Dr M. Joshi, and
the staff of the Honorary Consulate General for their tireless service.
Press Release: Terrorist bombing in Mumbai
Several lives have been lost in terrorist bombings
in Mumbai and earlier in Srinagar. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has condemned the
bomb blasts in Jammu & Kashmir and Maharashtra. He has expressed the Government’s
resolve to fight and defeat the evil designs of terrorists.
2 Information relating to victims of the blasts in Mumbai may be obtained from
the following helpline numbers in Mumbai:
Mumbai Police Control Room:
+91-22- 22623054, 2264 1752, 2262 5020
Western
Railway: +91-22-2200 5388
INS TABAR _ VISIT TO AUSTRALIA
Press Release: INS TABAR
Proposal to open a Consulate
General in Melbourne
There have been some media reports
on the possible closure of the Honorary Consulate General of
India in Melbourne. Government of India is presently considering
the possibility of opening a Consulate General in Melbourne.
The Honorary Consulate General will continue to function till
a regular Consulate General is opened in Melbourne.
Overseas Citizenship of India
The Government of India has been
working on a scheme to introduce 'Overseas Citizenship of India
(OCI)\ commonly known as dual citizenship. The Parliament of
India has amended the Citizenship Act, 1955 to give effect to
the scheme. The date of operationalisation of the scheme will
be announced in due course. Please await further announcement
regarding acceptance of applications for Overseas Citizenship
of India.
Further details of the OCI scheme may be seen at
http://mha.nic.in/oci-main.htm
High Commission of
India
Canberra, June 30, 2005
Government of India have promulgated an Ordinance on 28 June
2005 to enlarge the scope of Overseas Citizenship of India.
A copy of the Press Release issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs,
Government of India on 29 June is enclosed.
The Government of India is currently working on the modalities
to implement the scheme.
The High Commission will make further announcement once a revised
scheme is operationalized.
SALIENT POINTS OF CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE, 2005 -
PRESS NOTE Click
to preview
High Commission of India
Canberra. June 13, 2003.
From 2nd June 2003, the Honorary Consulate in Melbourne has,
in consultation with the High Commission of India in Canberra,
discontinued all services for Indian passports. Indian passport
holders in the State of Victoria are requested to contact the
High Commission for the services.
Detail information on types of services and fees can be found
in the High Commission's website: http://www.highcommissionofindiaaustralia.org
The High Commission would like to inform all Indians who need
passport service to send their passports directly to the High
Commission in Canberra along with a self-addressed registered
or express post envelope. All the passport received by post
would be acknowledged by the High commission by post along with
a receipt, which could be used as a future reference for contact
with the High Commission.
If any application is found incomplete, the applicant would
be contacted by the High Commission to complete the form, Application
forms have been simplified and are available on High Commission's
website for downloading. Those who do not have access to computers
can obtain the form by post from the High Commission by sending
a written request along with a self-addressed stamped envelope.
in order to keep track of any complaints about delays and enquiries
relating to status of their case, the applicants are requested
to contact the High Commission by e-mail, fax or letter.
The new system has been introduced in order to help the Honorary
Consulate to re-organise and make it cost effective. As and
when it reaches the break-even point, we would be restoring
the passport services to the Honorary Consulate in consultation
with them.
The new system should not inconvenience
Indian passport holders. On the contrary, they benefit in the
following way:
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Service charge of $13.00,
over and above the consular fee, need not be paid, and |
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Hitherto, the Honorary Consulate
was collecting the Indian passports and sending them to
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the High Commission once
a week for service. Similarly, the High Commission was also
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returning the passports
to Honorary Consulate only once a week. The Honorary Consulate
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functioned only as a post
office. Under the new system, time taken for the service
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be reduced by more than
a week.It is requested that Consular Section may kindly
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contacted by e-mail: consular@hcindia-au.org
or by Fax No. 02-6273 3227 |
Press Information
www.pib.nic.in
Press Release www.meadev.nic.in/news/pressrelease.htm
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