The Punjab government will invite 550 Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Punjabis for the 550th Parkash Parb to be celebrated in November, NRI Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said on Wednesday.

Sodhi said the government was in the process of chalking out programmes relating to the Parkash Parb. The arrangements for the board and lodging for the invited NRIs would be made by the state. They would be taken to historical places like Sultanpur Lodhi, Batala and Dera Baba Nanak.

He directed the officers to formulate an effective mechanism for speedily redressing the grievances of the NRIs pertaining to property and marriages.

He said an officer at the tehsildar level would deal with the cases relating to the properties owned by the NRIs.

Sodhi directed the departmental officers to compile a report of the various cases related to the NRIs lying pending. He emphasized that a detailed record of the students going abroad for studies should be maintained by the department.

This would come in handy for the state government to render them all possible help when needed in conjunction with the External Affairs Ministry. IANS