JOIN USThe government is planning to make frequent travellers and prominent Indians avoid the hassles at immigration counters at major airports in the country by setting up dedicated kiosks.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has mooted a proposal to allow the facility of minimum paper work to film stars and business travellers with a clean record in special immigration counters in select airports.
A final decision on whether to allow the facility will be taken soon. A senior official said discussions are still on with various stakeholders and the proposal may come into reality in the next few months.
List of ‘clean’ persons
One of the jobs of the ministry will be to prepare the list. One of the criteria would be that the person should not have a criminal record.
The person in the list can approach the proposed counter and complete the minimum formalities and leave in a few minutes. Recently, an India-US initiative was unveiled to exempt prominent Indian citizens from immigration checks in America.
The pact — Global Entry — is a US Customs and Border Protection programme and was signed on Saturday in Washington. It permits speedy clearance for pre-approved and low-risk travellers upon arrival in America.
The US has been pressing for India’s inclusion in the Global Entry so that dignitaries like former presidents, former prime ministers, former Union ministers, film stars, top industrialists and frequent flyers can visit America without any hassle.
India is only the ninth country with which the US has entered into this International Expedited Traveller Initiative.
DH News Service