RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2573
TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2018
LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS OF FRAUDS
†2573. SHRI NARAYAN RANE:
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the details of those foreign countries where the scheme of providing legal assistance to the victims of fraud from the Indian husbands is being implemented?
(b) the number of women benefitted from this scheme during the last three years, country-wise;
(c) whether Government proposes to extend this scheme to other countries also; and
(d) if so, the steps taken in this regard?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]
(a) to (d) Prior to September 2017, the Ministry’s scheme for providing legal & financial assistance to Indian women deserted by their NRI husbands was in operation only in 13 countries. Besides, the financial assistance was also limited to US$ 3000/- per
case in case of developed countries and US$ 2000/- in respect of developing countries.
With an aim to provide financial and legal assistance to distressed women married to NRI spouses by all Missions and Posts, the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) Guidelines were revised in September, 2017. The amount of legal & financial assistance to distressed
Indian women has also been increased to US$ 4000 per case. The assistance is released to the empanelled legal counsel of the applicant or Indian Community Association/ Women’s Organisation/NGO concerned to enable it to take steps to assist the woman in documentation
and preparatory work for filing the case.
The number of women benefitted from this scheme during the last three years country-wise are as below:
|
Financial Year
|
Name of the country
|
Number of beneficiaries
|
Remarks
|
|
2014-2015
|
London, UK
|
05
|
Amount provided for legal & financial assistance uptil
31-10-2017, under MEA scheme
|
|
2015-2016
|
i) Houston, USA
|
01
|
|
ii) London, UK
|
09
|
|
2016-2017
|
i) New York, USA
|
05
|
|
ii) Stockholm, Sweden
|
01
|
|
iii) Singapore
|
02
|
|
2017-2018
( w.e.f. 1-9-2017)
|
i) Dubai, UAE
|
03
|
Amount provided for legal & financial assistance w.e.f.
01st September 2017 to 30th
June 2018,
Under ICWF Scheme.
|
|
ii) Washington DC,
USA
|
01
|
|
iii) Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
|
02
|
|
iv) New York, USA
|
03
|
|
v) St. Petersburg,
Russia
|
04
|
|
vi) Kabul,
Afghanistan
|
01
|
|
vii) Khartoum, Sudan
|
03
|
|
viii) Milan, Italy
|
01
|
|
ix) Bratislava,
Slovakia
|
01
|
|
x) Ecuador, Colombia
|
01
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
43
|
|
*****