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Our Bureau

Kolkata, Nov. 1 The Ministry of External Affairs is to tighten the scrutiny procedures for Chinese citizens coming to India on business visas, according to Dr Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for External Affairs.

The scrutiny has become imperative in view of significant rise in the number of skilled and unskilled Chinese visiting on business visas. About 58,500 business visas were granted to Chinese citizens in the calendar year 2008.

It would be difficult to quantify the number of skilled and unskilled labourers working on such visas, Mr Tharoor said while speaking at an interactive session organised by the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce here on Saturday. Business visas could not supplement employment visas, he pointed out.

“Though we do not have the exact number, we are told that there has been a significant rise in the number of people travelling on such visas. Investigation is on to assess the exact number. We do not want to be too strict but we will not want to be too lax either in this regard,” he said.

The Ministry, Mr Tharoor said, was taking a close look at the visa procedure norms and would consider increasing the scrutiny of such visas, to avoid such practices.

The new visa regime, announced three months ago, required the Chinese to give up their business visa and secure a fresh employment visa before September 30 to be able to continue working in India. The deadline was however later extended till October 31.

The Union Government has made it clear that no further relaxation would be made in the latest deadline. In other words, all Chinese citizens working in India who continue to be on a business visa will have to leave the country after October 31.

Talking about the impact of this move on the projects using Chinese equipment currently under way in the country, Mr Tharoor said, “The projects may face some delays but that is unavoidable, the logic being there is no dearth of unskilled Indian labourers.”

More Stories on : Security | Travel & Places | West Bengal

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