Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan on Wednesday said the Union government will take up the issue of establishing a U.S. consulate in Bengaluru during bilateral talks with the U.S. in the future.
Long-pending demand
A U.S. consulate in Bengaluru is a long-pending demand. Visa applicants from south Karnataka travel to Chennai every day while applicants from north Karnataka visit Hyderabad.
Mr. Muraleedharan said after Delhi and Mumbai, a large number of visa applications come from Bengaluru. “We will take up the issue of establishing a U.S. consulate in Bengaluru during bilateral talks,” he said while speaking at a seminar on ‘Videsh Sampark Outreach’ in the city.
Earlier, Chief Secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar urged the Centre to consider the State government’s demand to set up a U.S. consulate in Bengaluru. Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs J.C. Madhuswamy said people of the State go to Chennai virtually begging for visas by standing in a long queue every day.
30 million abroad
The Union Minister said 30 million Indian are living overseas and working in various companies. The country received NRI remittances amounting to $76.4 billion in 2018-19. On average, 40% of remittances go to Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Punjab. A total of 1.22 crore passports were issued in 2019, he said.
Mr. Vijay Bhaskar asked the Centre to scrap the system of obtaining political clearances for bureaucrats travelling abroad. He also sought the Centre’s support in holding a diplomats’ or ambassadors’ meet in Bengaluru on the eve of the Global Investors Meet in November, 2020.
Students told to register
In the background of the outbreak of COVID-19 in China, Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan has appealed to students studying abroad to voluntarily register on the portal MADAD of the Ministry of External Affairs.
During a crisis, the government can easily evacuate students if they submit details in the portal. By registering in MADAD, students can also express their grievances related to consular services offered by Indian missions abroad.
