NEW DELHI/ WASHINGTON: The U.S. India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), a forum of the Indian American community in the U.S., has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for swift action in fulfilling assurances on the PIO cards.

"Swift action on this issue by the prime minister is indeed heartening and sends a very strong signal to the Indian diaspora that the Indian government is attuned to the issues faced by the community. This also sends a signal to the wider global audiences that the message of Come and Make in India is being whole heartedly supported by necessary policy reform in India", said Sanjay Puri, chairman of the USINPAC.

In his Madison Square Garden address in New York during his recent US visit, Modi had announced simplification in the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) schemes for the Indian diaspora.

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The announcement has been officially notified in the gazette. All PIO cards are now valid for lifetime of the cardholder, instead of 15 years as earlier. The union home ministry has also issued instructions that PIO cardholders will not be required to report to a police station even if their stay in India exceeds 180 days. It is working on a new scheme that will merge the PIO and OCI schemes.

USINPAC is the voice of over 3.2 million Indian-Americans and works on issues that concern the community. It supports candidates for local, state and federal office and encourages political participation by the Indian-American community.

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