In the wake of a Union government order stipulating new norms for bringing back bodies of non-resident Indians to India, J.T. Radhakrishna, director, Calicut International Airport, has said that there is no need to panic.
He told The Hindu here on Sunday that various reports about the order had created a panic situation. “It is a normal order. We will have an official review meeting at the airport on Monday. If there is any issue, we will try to sort it out,” Mr. Radhakrishna said.
The Centre’s new norms stipulate that relatives should submit the death certificate and other relevant documents at the airport 48 hours in advance. As per the existing practice, the bodies could be brought within a day.
Organisations representing NRIs alleged that the new norms will delay the process at least by two days.
Meanwhile, M.K. Raghavan, MP, has demanded that the norms be revoked. In a press release, he said that it would be difficult to get the required documents in short notice. The office of the Chief Minister too has promised to intervene in the issue.
