MUMBAI,Febrauary5,2012: Alarmed by the plight of deserted NRI women, the Centre has drafted a policy to protect them as well as provide them with financial help to fight legal battles. According to a senior bureaucrat, the ministry of overseas Indian affairs has brought out a booklet, 'Marriages to Overseas Indians', which has specific information on safeguards for women deserted by their NRI spouses, legal remedies they can avail of and the authorities they can turn to for the redressal of their grievances. "We don't have the exact number of deserted NRI women, but their number appears to be quite high. So, the Centre felt it appropriate to a draft policy so that offices abroad can tackle such cases," the bureaucrat said. Besides, the Centre has come up with another booklet, "Thinking of the Marriage of your Daughter with an NRI?", which highlights the precautions to be taken before finalizing any marriage alliance with an NRI. Further, the bureaucrat said, the national commission for women has aloso circulated guidelines on problems related to NRI marriages , the dos and don'ts . A similar set of guidelines was launched in 2007, but it was meant to provide legal and financial assistance to deserted or divorced overseas Indian women. Now, the scheme has been revised to help Indian women who have been deserted by their overseas Indian/foreigner husbands or are facing divorce proceedings abroad. About the conditions to avail of financial assistance, the bureaucrat said, the marriage could have been solemnized either in India or abroad. But the help will be provided to only to such a woman who has been deserted in India or overseas within 15 years of her marriage or her Indian/foreign husband initiated the divorce proceeding within 15 years of their marriage. The scheme can also be applicable if an ex-party divorce has been obtained by the overseas Indian/foreign husband within 25 years of marriage and a case of maintenance and alimony is filed by the woman. Of course, the bureaucrat pointed out, the government scheme would not be available to women who have criminal cases against them.
