Indian expatriates are furious over the hike in fees for Indian passports that were enforced recently. They say the hike will hit ordinary workers who constitute about 65 percent of the Indian population in the UAE.

The Indian Embassy said the fee was revised from Dh.150 to Dh.285 per a Government of India order. Prices have also been raised for emergency passports and for the 60-page jumbo booklet, as have fees for lost, stolen or damaged passports.

Some expatriate organisations said they are planning campaigns to demand a rollback of the increased fees.

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Speaking at a press conference held as part of World Health Day, Dr Hitesh Shah, an interventional cardiologist emphasised the need to have a different threshold level for Indians when measuring parameters like BP, waist size, cholesterol levels etc. whereas most laboratories continue to measure these parameters using western standards.

According to Shah elevated levels of lipoprotein a or LP(a) found in some 40% of Indians magnifies adverse consequences of tobacco, unhealthy foods and physical activity, thus a smoker or junk food addict is also genetically predisposed to high LP(a) levels and will be at greater risk of suffering heart disease.

Doctors in India say per research, Indians are genetically predisposed to high LP(a)s that include an increased risk of Coronary Artery Disease.

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Families of Rajasthanis in Kuwait have urged the state government to intervene and bring their stranded relatives back home.

Many Indians including Rajasthanis have already been deported back to their homes, including at least 1000 from Rajasthan, most of whom were involved in crime or were illegal. Sources say of the nearly 25000 Indians detained some 18,000 are from Rajasthan.

Most of the Rajasthanis who go to Kuwait for jobs are often tricked by agents and activists. Most are also illiterate and do not understand the nature of their visas, so they end up being exploited.

The Chief Minister has asked authorities to monitor the situation and the Congress MP said he will contact the Indian high commissioner in Kuwait to take up the issue and apprise the government of the situation.

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According to the NRI Affairs and Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia the Punjab government has also designated District Revenue Officers to register marriages of NRIs Earlier Tehsildars were the only designated officers to register these marriages.

This decision has been taken to provide hassle-free services to NRIs.

To eliminate any chances of corruption, the state government has asked all concerned officers to submit reports about NRI marriages to it every fortnight.

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NRI Jagmohan Singh Rana originally from Mohali complained that the Bharti AXA Life Insurance company had fraudulently taken money to the tune of Rs.25 lakhs fora policy he had not bought.

In a complicated scam Bharti AXA Life Insurance cleared cheques while Rana was not in India and when he asked the firm for a refund the company refused.

The matter was eventually settled by representatives of both parties, before the Punjab State Commission. The settlement includes the surrender and liquidation of an earlier policy as well as a refund of Rs.20 lakhs for a second policy.

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