M A I N   N E W S

UK visas to be issued in city
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Feb 1 — The British Labour Government today announced that visitors from Punjab to the United Kingdom would be able to get visas at Chandigarh also.

Announcing the decision, the British Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth, Mr Keith Vaz, said that his government would extend visa facilities to two more Indian cities of Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. The Labour government would like to extend and expand the services, he stressed.

Mr Vaz, who arrived here this morning on a four-day visit, made a conscious effort to end the controversy about the British government’s proposal to introduce cash bond scheme for short-term visitors to the United Kingdom from India, saying that “no decision has been made and there was no exclusivity.

He told newspersons at a press conference at the British High Commissioner’s residence today evening: “It is absolute rubbish and nonsense to suggest that people have to provide a bond to get into the United Kingdom.”

The British Minister said that no decision had been taken on the bond amount when the pilot scheme would start or the visa posts where it would be put into operation. People could apply for visas as they did earlier by paying the normal fees and get the visa possibly the same day, he said, adding that they were not required to bring cash bonds or cheque books.

India had reacted strongly to the British proposal yesterday, saying that New Delhi reserved the right to take “reciprocal action” if such rules and guidelines were instituted.

Mr Vaz said the proposal was a response to suggestions from minority ethnic community in the UK. It would apply to a small number of cases in which a visa-issuing officer was unsure whether a family visitor intended to leave at the end of the visit. It would not apply to most family visit applications, he said, trying to explain a proposal which has created a controversy.

The visiting Minister said that media reports about such a proposal were based on a consultation paper which was launched in December last year. The previous Conservative Government had abolished the right to appeal to those who were denied visas by the visa issuing officials, leading to many problems, Mr Vaz pointed out, adding that the Labour Government of Prime Minister Tony Blair has restored the right to appeal.

The proposal to have cash bonds was contemplated as another instrument of service to the visitors who were denied visas, he said.

Mr Vaz tried to set all speculations at rest, saying that “if India is chosen during the pilot scheme then it would not be the only country. There would be several countries in each continent.”

“If it is chosen, then the British officials here would discuss the matter with the Indian officials”, Mr Vaz said.