The Indian government has stood firmly behind its decision to increase passport fees for non-resident Indians (NRIs), issuing its justification during a court hearing in southern India.
In December, the Kerala High Court admitted a written petition filed on behalf of the Riyadh-based Federation of Kerala Associations in Saudi Arabia (FOKASA), challenging the notification issued by the Ministry of External Affairs directing the Indian missions abroad to raise the fee for passport and travel documents for NRIs.
In response to the petition, the court issued notices to the Foreign Ministry and the Indian Embassy in Riyadh ordering them to file counter-affidavits against the petition.
The ministry filed a written statement to the high court on March 4, through Assistant Solicitor General P. Parameswaran Nair. "NRIs earn more wages abroad than individuals in India, which is why we believe the fee increase in travel documents and passports is affordable, especially given the fact that passport services are availed of once in two or three years," said the government's statement. "In addition, for services rendered abroad, our costs of establishment are substantially higher than in India. For the above reasons, differential rates for services in Indian and abroad are in order."
In addition, the government presented the argument that "the missions have outsourced passport services and therefore the fee enhancement is based on the principle of provisions of good passport services and is uniformly applicable all over the world."
The government statement added that in some instances, NRIs have caused willful loss or damage to their passports.
"It is essential that the person who loses his/her passport is penalized to such an extent that the loss or damage is not taken lightly," the statement concluded.
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