Panali, Sep 28 (TOI): The state government, in a reminder to the Centre, has requested that the process to solve the long-pending issues of Goans deprived of Indian passports because they were born abroad (before and immediately after Goa's liberation) be expedited. There are around 50 such cases presently pending before the home department.

Speaking to TOI, additional secretary (home), Sanjiv Gadkar, said the home department decided to remind the ministry of home affairs (MHA) about the matter as it hadn't received any communication from the latter.

In July, chief secretary R K Srivastava — in a letter to B K Prasad, additional secretary (foreigners), MHA— explained that Goans who were born aboard after the state's liberation no longer have the travel documents they had used to travel to India.

A home department official pointed out that although Goans born abroad after the liberation of Goa have been denied Indian passports just because they don't have any documents to show how they entered India, they hold various other documents issued by the state and central governments, such as voter's IDs, ration cards, PAN cards and Aadhaar cards.

"These persons have completed their education in Goa/India and were/are employed in the government sector, banks, schools, etc. Yet, the passport officer insists on an Indian citizenship certificate from such persons as they were born aboard," Srivastava had said in the letter.

The home department had already suggested three options to MHA to solve the problem, the first being the introduction of an amendment in the Goa, Daman and Diu (citizenship) order, 1962. It also asked the ministry to explore the possibility of accepting manual applications for citizenship by relaxing the requirement of online submission. It had even suggested that a domicile certificate from the district magistrate— countersigned by the chief secretary of Goa—be provided to the MHA.