Bangalore, July 11: The Union government is actively contemplating the setting up of Foreigner's Registration Offices in each and every state. This is primarliy to ease the burden of state registration officers and also facilitate speedy registration. Currently, such offices exist only in Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai.According to Sundara Raj, joint director, intelligence, Union ministry of home affairs, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are the states wherein a large number of foreigners come for various purposes and hence needed separate FROs. He was speaking at an interactive session on ``Foreigners' Registration, Stay Permit, Extension of Stay Permit, etc'' organised by the Greater Mysore Chamber of Industry here on Friday.
Responding to questions he said that ``change of purpose in visas is not accepted by the Government of India. If a foreigner comes on a tourist visa he has to necessarily return after the stipulated time. Similarly, on a business visa also.''
He exhorted theIndian companies to take full responsiblity for registering the foreigners with them. Such a system is already prevalent in firms like ONGC and OIL. The private sector should also come forward and do the same, he added.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
