Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY) Wednesday called on fellow lawmakers to support a bill calling for an additional US consular post in southern India.
"With Bangalore and Hyderabad becoming high technology centers, the need for the United States to have a close center to this area is imperative," Crowley said at the markup for the State Department Authorization Bill.
"I call on the committee and my colleagues in the US Congress to make the addition of a consular post in southern India a priority," said Crowley, chief deputy whip and former co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.
He noted that currently businesspersons, immigrants and visitors from South India have to go to the US Consulate in Chennai to get a visa or to do any other business with the US government.
"The additional of an additional consulate in either Bangalore or Hyderabad will help both Indians and Americans doing business in southern India," he said. Crowley, whose 7th
The language added to the bill talks about "an additional location in an undeserved region of India." Crowley asked the State Department to choose between Hyderabad and Bangalore as the best location for the consulate.
"My role in the Congress allows me to voice the concerns and needs of my Indian American constituents and their family members living in India," Crowley said.
"I have had the pleasure of visiting India several times and the valuable knowledge that I have learned through these trips led me to conclusion that an additional post in southern India is needed."
The bill, passed by the Committee on International Relations, is scheduled for full consideration by the House of Representatives
