Persons of Indian Origin in certain countries will be given dual citizenship and a legislation to facilitate it will be introduced in the Budget session of Parliament beginning next month, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced on Thursday.

"We are working on the administrative regulations and procedures that govern dual citizenship. We will introduce the necessary legislation during the Budget session of Parliament," Vajpayee said while inaugurating the first Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations in New Delhi.

Asking Indians who have chosen to settle in foreign lands to be loyal to their country of adoption, the prime minister said the biggest challenge facing every immigrant community was to integrate harmoniously into the political, economic and social life of the host society, while preserving and cherishing its heritage.

Over the years, Indians have achieved this delicate balance virtually everywhere, without a contradiction between their adopted citizenship and their original Indian identity, he said.

"It is in this background that my government has decided to accept the recommendation of the high-level committee (headed by L M Singhvi) to permit dual citizenship for Persons of Indian Origin living in certain countries," Vajpayee said.

Stating that Non-Resident Indians of today were Pravasi Bharatiyas of tomorrow, the prime minister said that a compulsory insurance scheme for Indian workers migrating to the Gulf region would be unveiled shortly.

Welfare plan for Gulf NRIs

Vajpayee said that Parliament was already considering a Bill to establish a welfare fund for overseas Indian workers as their welfare was of 'utmost concern to us.'

"To meet the educational needs of children of workers in the Gulf, we plan to reserve certain proportion of seats in our academic institutions for the children of the Gulf NRIs," he said.

Asserting that India would continue to engage closely with the communities of its origin, the prime minister said that an advisory committee was being set up which would meet periodically to suggest new initiatives to the minister of external affairs.

'We want the richness of your experience'

Inviting NRIs and PIOs to share the vision of India in the new millennium and help it shape its contours, Vajpayee said: "We do not want only your investment. We also want your ideas. We do not want your riches, we want the richness of your experience. We can gain from the breadth of vision that your global exposure has given you."

India, he said, had been deeply appreciative of the support of the Pravasi Bharatiya community, in times of need.

"Whenever India has faced a challenge to its security or to its territorial integrity, you have tirelessly championed its cause. When there was an effort to isolate India after our nuclear tests of 1998, you came forward to stand by India," he said.

"Your enthusiastic response to our Resurgent India Bonds in 1998 helped us raise over $4 billion, when we needed it most."

PTI