In a significant move aimed at strengthening ties with the Telugu diaspora, the Andhra Pradesh government has launched a comprehensive initiative to enumerate Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) residing across the globe and offer them a wide array of dedicated services, including grievance redressal mechanisms, single-window systems and weekly special courts.Speaking exclusively to The Hindu on Thursday (June 5, 2025), Minister for NRI Empowerment and Relations Kondapalli Srinivas said that the government is conducting a survey through Village and Ward Secretariats to gather basic details of NRIs such as their country of residence, contact information and email addresses.“Once the enumeration is complete, we aim at reaching out to all 30 lakh NRIs with details of the services provided by the State and the Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS),” he said.The government has set up NRI Wings at both State and District levels. While the State-level operations are monitored by the CID under a Superintendent of Police, district-level wings are functional at Collectorates with Tahsildars and Circle Inspectors to address property protection, legal and other issues.Highlighting APNRTS’s role, Mr. Srinivas stated that it functions under the leadership of an IAS officer as CEO and a prominent NRI as President, to bridge communication between the diaspora and the government. At the same time, the government is appointing NRIs as coordinators at continental level, who would coordinate between the government and people abroad.The Minister also revealed that the government is actively considering the establishment of weekly NRI courts in each district, following feedback from the diaspora. “Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed the department to explore the feasibility of this demand,” he added.Other initiatives under consideration include WhatsApp Governance for faster service delivery. He added that a 24/7 toll-free call centre to address NRI grievances has been getting calls from across the globe and it would be further strengthened.Additionally, the State plans to celebrate Pravasi Telugu Divas every January around the Pongal festival to engage with Telugu NRIs more meaningfully. Minister Srinivas urged all NRIs to approach the department whenever they require support or intervention from the government, assuring them of Andhra Pradesh’s commitment to protect their interests.Published - June 07, 2025 07:26 pm IST